Monachopsis
by Panda-chan31
Summary: "The subtle but persistent feeling of being out of place". Guess that makes sense, seeing as I was reborn into the world of an anime. And being reborn into a world where you know what's coming... It's terrifying. Slight S/I, inspired by Silver Queen and Lang Noi.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

Chapter 1

So let's get one thing straight; dying isn't peaceful, and it isn't magical. It's cold, terrifying, and painful. There's no bright white light at the end of the tunnel, no choir of angels. Just yourself in cold, oppressive black.

Maybe for others it's different, but that was my experience. See I'd been walking home from the local library, trying to be environmentally friendly and all that by walking instead of driving the half mile. Nose buried in a book, I'd been walking home when I'd been mugged. But my attacker must have been strung out on something, or had just decided that today was the day that he went from simple robbery to murder. Because even after handing over the forty dollars I had in my wallet, he still stabbed me and left me for dead, propped against a dumpster.

So that was my glorious death. Propped against a filthy, smelly dumpster while slowly bleeding out. The bastard had taken my phone so I couldn't call for help, and my throat had been too sore to manage more than a whisper after he got done strangling me half to death.

Surprisingly, it takes longer than one would think to bleed to death. I'd estimate that it took me a little over an hour to finally die, which isn't that long but not slow either. Multiple stab wounds that didn't actually hit any major arteries or veins will do that. With no help in sight, it gave me time to think and reflect on my life. There hadn't been a lot in my life worth noting; I had been born to a military family, my father being sent out on deployment while my mother and I made due at home. It had been a comfortable life, and I loved my parents dearly. I had a few close friends and many acquaintances, but I'd barely turned twenty-four. There was so much of life that I hadn't experienced. I didn't really want to die, but I had always been a go with the flow type of person. Plus, reincarnation was something I believed in. So being murdered had to earn me brownie points in that respect, right?

I don't know how long I was floating in the cold dark; time doesn't really hold the same sway when you're dead I guess. I do know that when things began to change, I was actually happy and excited more than terrified. Anything to change up the black silence was worth it in my book. It was subtle at first, but gradually the biting coldness eased and warmed. At the same time, the blackness began to lighten, taking on a reddish pink glow. I could hear sounds, but it was horribly muffled and I couldn't really open my eyes. I don't know how much time passed, but eventually this new space I was in began to grow smaller and smaller, until I was snuggly nestled in it. I began to recognize two distinct sounds, almost like voices but still too muffled. But the tones and inflections I could pick up on. The two voices were comforting, reassuringly constant. Although I wasn't able to communicate with them, I wanted to thank them, to let them know that their voices were keeping me from going insane. After so long in that oppressive silence, listening to them speak, even though I couldn't understand them kept me from tipping over the edge. I didn't know that my chance would come sooner than expected.

* * *

See there's a reason why we as human beings don't remember our births; again, it's a terrifying, horrible experience. I've often heard people muse as to why babies come out kicking and screaming. Well, let me enlighten you with my take on it; one minute, I'm in a comfortable warmth, feeling safe and secure. Nothing could hurt me, nothing could touch me. I was never really hungry, could sleep whenever I wanted. Aside from the occasional bout of boredom it was pretty much perfect. Then, my comfortable warmth began to constrict and push. Although not exactly painful, it was uncomfortable. And then I was being moved, against my will. I struggled, not wanting to leave my snug haven. But as much as I struggled, I couldn't fight against the force that was forcibly evicting me. After more pushing and squeezing, the warmth and security forcibly pushed me out, and I was left in a colder, far too bright place, being handled by what felt like giant hands.

I am not ashamed to say that I began screaming at the top of my lungs. Because although I didn't know it at the time, I had just gone through being born a second time. With my mind being that of a twenty-four year old. Normal babies have it easy; they forget the trauma of being born. The date was July 2nd, my new birthday. And it's something I've never forgotten.

My days as a baby and into my toddler years aren't that exciting, so I won't go into too much detail. I will say that once I pieced together what had happened and my current predicament, I tried my best to be a good natured, easy baby. But my frustration with not being able to control my body as I was used to did get the better of me at times. Still, my parents were kind and patient. My father would come and go, being gone for days at a time. Once my eyesight became more developed, I was able to distinguish business suits and a briefcase that was always left by the front door, although his job title was never brought up around me. But whenever he came home, his face was always open and smiling. His eyes were a very striking blue, and his hair was a deep red, almost the color of blood and curly too. Odd, I didn't think that a business man would color his hair that way but I didn't question it too much.

My mother was a sweet woman, who laughed easy and had the sweetest singing voice. She had a classic Asian beauty about her, with her long black hair and dark brown eyes. But there was a warmth about her and my father that made me feel easy and happy whenever I was with one or both of them. I learned that their names were Marcus and Katsumi Castille, and they had named me Reila. This brought up many questions; they spoke Japanese, and we appeared to live in Japan, but there were many inconsistencies. Mainly the unusual name they gave me, my father's unnatural color of hair, their dated style of dress, hell even the lack of cell phones made me question what kind of world I now lived in. Some strange mixture of Japan and America?

I tried not to dwell on it too much, honestly. I just went about relearning how to control my body, and soak up any little piece of knowledge I could. With nothing better to do with my spare time I found that my adult mind was able to pick up on new information better than others my age. I think it startled my mother when she found me reaching for the encyclopedias that my father had from his college days. But she hid her astonishment well, speaking with my father quietly when he got home. The next day my father had bought educational videos for me, and between the ages of two and four I soaked up as much of it as I could. My father encouraged my voracious appetite for knowledge, calling me his "pretty genius". The one major disagreement in the house was about music. After so long in silence, I now hated it. I was always asking my mother to put on the radio, or singing quietly to myself. My love of music had carried over from my old life, and was even greater since my time in the cold silence. My mother seemed worried about it, but wouldn't say why. My father on the other hand encouraged it, even buying a used piano for me to begin learning on. I found that my father was actually a very good piano player, and I eagerly studied and practiced every day. Although my mother continued to be troubled by it, she did support me and helped where she could. All in all my earliest childhood was full of happiness, laughter, and love. And I was grateful beyond words for it.

* * *

It was two weeks before I started school that my father passed away. My lively, smiling father had contracted a bad virus on a business trip to Thailand, and it had burned through him so quickly the doctors hadn't stood a chance of saving him. When my mother and I received the news we'd been rocked to our cores. My father had been the main source of income in our family, and although not helpless my mother had never worked since I had been born, relying on him to provide for us. She seemed so… Lost without him. And I felt the same. Although we were by no means rich, we were comfortable. My father had left a tidy sum in a savings account for us, but it wouldn't keep forever. I remember hearing my mother cry herself to sleep, mostly over grief for losing her beloved husband, but also for fear of what would happen to us.

The funeral we held for him was small, with a few neighbors who had come to pay their respects as well as a few of his coworkers. My father had no family aside from my mother and I, and she never spoke of her own family. So my mother and I stood together, receiving the condolences of those who had come while we held hands, clinging to one another. We shared in our grief for a day, then did our best to pick up and move on, keeping memories of my father alive in our hearts.

Eventually my mother found a decent paying office job, and between that and some careful money management we were able to continue with our life without too many changes. At first my mother had worried about her late hours and me being home alone, but after the first week she seemed to accept that I was perfectly capable of managing on my own. While she was at work I kept the house clean and taught myself how to cook dinner and made sure that there was a hot meal waiting for her when she got home from work. I was by no means a gourmet chef, but the meals were tasty and healthy.

My thirst for knowledge never wavered, and as someone who in my last life hadn't enjoyed school I took some time to think through what it was that drove me to learn all that I could. My mother had noticed it too, but didn't seem all that disturbed by it. She would occasionally remark on my constant studying, even on subjects that we weren't currently learning in school but she did just as my father had and encouraged it, saying that she was proud to have a daughter who was so enthusiastic about learning. After a day's reflection I came to the realization that it wasn't just about learning, it was a bid to gain power. Too much of my life, this one and the previous one, had been left to chance and hope. I had never actually taken the steps to gain control over my own life, content to just roll with whatever punches life threw my way. But the death of my father, and my own murder had let me with a burning desire to be master of my fate. I didn't want to be left powerless ever again.

This drive for knowledge astounded my teachers, and within two months I had been pushed up two grades in school. My mother had been intimidated by this, not because she thought I couldn't handle the schoolwork but because I would be the youngest in my class. She fretted about it, but I assured her that I would be fine. I had exactly zero friends, as no one in my age group was able to entertain me and I didn't enjoy their games of pretend. Instead I kept to myself, normally accompanied by books and my music. It was still a touchy subject with my mother, but she still wouldn't tell me why. But she continued to accept it and even helped, buying me sheets of music and books on music theory. She fretted over me having no friends, but I assured her that I was perfectly happy. I could interact with people and was known throughout the neighborhood as the "polite, sweet little girl". I think that ready acceptance of any adult I came across helped ease the worst of my mother's anxiety, but as I didn't want to put any undue stress on her I did attempt to be cordial with my peers, even if I never became friends with any of them.

Although the loss of my father had been a blow, we picked up and continued in a comfortable way for the next few years. Things became a little harder, and my mother seemed to be wearing down slowly over time. She tried to keep a cheerful face on, but I was too perceptive for her to fool; if I hadn't been alive, she would have allowed herself to die years ago, to follow my father to the grave. She tried her hardest, but every day I could see her wilting a little more. It was bittersweet to watch to be honest, and it was only because I was older mentally that I was able to understand it. Her will to live was slowly waning every day, although she showed a strength of character that inspired me when she rose every morning to face the day with half of her heart missing. It pained me, but I kept a pleasant face on for her sake. But we both knew that she wouldn't last much longer.

During dinner one night, about a month or so before I turned eight my mother and I talked. She had been to see the doctor that day and he had confirmed what we had known; my mother was ill, and it was terminal. The thought of being helpless again terrified me, but I again adopted a calm, brave face for my mother's sake. She finally broke her silence that night about her past and explained to me why she never spoke about her family, and why she her encouragement of my music had been lacking at times.

"Reila, understand this; I regret nothing. My life with you and your father is everything I could have wished for. We've been happy, loved, and have so many pleasant memories. The only thing I wish is that I could have shared this with my father and brother."

That shocked me. I hadn't even heard mention of any of her family being alive. "Your father and brother?" I asked, brow furrowing as I tried to piece everything together.

"Yes dear. I do have living family, however I can never speak to them again. I was born into a wealthy and powerful family. My maiden name was Sarota; Katsumi Sarota, youngest daughter of the head of Sarota Entertainment. My older brother was to inherit the company, while I was to marry a man of my father's choosing to create a strong tie between the Sarota's company and my husband's." My mother explained, keeping her eyes trained on the rain that was streaming down the windows.

This news floored me. Sarota Entertainment was a huge name in the music industry. There was hardly a musically inclined person alive who didn't know about the industry giant. Sarota handled bands, solo artists, and worked closely within the gaming and film industry on musical scores for some of the highest selling video games and movies, and there were whispers that the company was going to go global and set up a branch in the United States. "Wait… You're family owns Sarota Entertainment?"

My mother nodded, her eyes saddened. "Well, I was once part of the family. As I said, my father informed me that he would be choosing my husband for me. You may find this hard to believe, but the corporate world is very different from the one that we know. It's all about who has the most power and how to get more. My father loved me in his own way, I think, but choosing my future for me? That wasn't something that I could agree to. It was around that time that I met your father. He was like a ray of sunlight in my world. He made me feel more alive than I ever had before." Her face softened into a beautiful smile as she wandered through her memories of my father, and I gave her time to reflect. I was still struggling to understand how my mother could have left that life. It's wasn't even about how much money she could have had; my mind was fixed on the power that she could have had. The power to never be defenseless or left with nothing. I had a much deeper appreciation for the amount of love that had been between my parents.

"When I told my family that I wanted to marry your father," I was pulled out of my musings by my mother continuing her story, "they were… Very unsupportive. My father told me that if I went through with it, I would be forever disowned from the family. He would have nothing to do with a daughter who would not do as he wished."

"Even so, I loved your father too much to allow something as inconsequential as money come between me and my happiness. So I left my family, was stripped of my inheritance and my family name. I haven't even been able to speak to my older brother since then." She finished, sitting back in her chair with a heavy sigh. "Reila, my dear daughter… You know that I love you, and that I'm trying, right?"

"I know mother." I said quietly, not needing her to explain further. Every day was harder for her to get up, and she was growing thinner and paler. It was almost as though she was fading away before my eyes. But I loved her too much to be angry at her. She had given up everything for my father, and although she loved me dearly I could never fill her heart as much as he had. Even if I wanted to be angry about it, I couldn't. That depth of love was both inspiring and terrifying; I wasn't sure I ever wanted to love someone that much.

"I will keep trying, will keep going for as long as I can. But I don't think I have much time left in this world. I have sent my brother a message, explaining your father's passing and my illness. I asked him to approach our father on your behalf; asking him to take you in should I pass, to not punish you for my transgressions against the family. I'm not sure what will happen, but my brother is a good man who values family. If anyone can help you after I'm gone, it's him. I just ask that you be patient with them, and work your hardest as you always do."

"I will mother. I promise." I said, meaning it with all my heart. Knowing that I had a contingency plan, even a vague one helped ease a majority of my anxiety.

It wasn't three months after that night that my mother finally passed on. Another funeral followed, only this time there was no one to share in my grief, no one to stand beside me and hold my hand. I was left alone in the world, and my resolve strengthened even further; I would do whatever I needed to do to secure enough power for myself that I would never have to be left in a situation like this ever again.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

Chapter 2

A week after the reading of my mother's will I was taken to the Domino City Orphanage. The setup of the orphanage was nothing like I thought it would be; there were actually two that shared the lot of land, one that housed all boys and one that housed all girls. Meals and play time were shared between the two in a third building, and the whole setup reminded me of a boarding school instead of an orphanage. I was given a room to myself, there weren't enough children currently to warrant doubling up bedrooms which I was grateful for. I was given a day to settle in, and to learn the rules. They were fairly straight forward; the older children, such as myself were to help with the chores and looking after the younger children. Of course we were supervised at all times, and upon seeing the other children's reactions to me I was taken off childcare duty quickly enough.

I had never given much thought to my physical appearance, but it seemed that I was an anomaly amongst children my own age. I was of a much shorter stature than most, but not unhealthy in anyway; that is to say I wasn't undergrown, just petite. I had inherited my father's dark red curls, but my eyes were even darker than my mother's. There was literally no distinction between the iris and the pupil. My black eyes, combined with my pale skin made my appearance rather striking. Add my unusual maturity into the mix and I tended to make others around me uneasy. Adults accepted me easier, but children my own age teased me and seemed to have a lot of fun trying to make me lose my temper. I paid them no mind, knowing that it was a tendency in children to make fun and pick fights with people they didn't understand. I tended to avoid conflict, content to just leave them be and entertain myself with books and the radio. There was no piano at the orphanage, but there was one at the school I had been transferred to. After explaining my situation to the music teacher, he had been more than happy to allow me to practice during my lunch hour, and even helped me learn to play better without charging me his usual tutoring fee.

I wasn't above using other's sympathy to get what I wanted.

Two months passed quickly in the orphanage. Every few days or so, one of the bigger boys would try to start a fight with me but I avoided them fairly well. The most persistent of them was a boy named Toshiro. He had given me the nickname of "Demon Girl" because of my eyes and seemed to have made it his personal mission to make me lose my temper. But I had an extra twenty plus years of life experience on him, and I could take anything the kid could throw at me. Besides, it pissed him off more when I didn't react, which led to him doing something brashly and getting himself into trouble with the caretakers, all without my personal involvement. My days slowly blurred into a routine, and for the most part I was content in life. I stayed at the top of my class in school, and there had even been talk about me getting a scholarship into one of the select high schools in the area; with my current grades it would be a breeze. Domino City had a surprising number of good schools, but I was still unclear as to what direction I wanted to take with my higher education. Something in music appealed to me, but I would need more time to hash out exactly of what I wanted to do. I didn't necessarily like being in the spotlight, preferring to do my work from the sidelines so I was leaning towards music management, maybe even songwriting.

Thoughts of the future filled my head as I was heading back to the orphanage from school, which I refused to call home on principal. I had stayed after to browse the library while the others headed home, and a translation of Jane Austen's _Pride and Prejudice_ waited for me to begin reading in my bag just waiting for me to get back to my room and dig into it. I almost ignored the two boys standing in front of the gated entrance in my haste, but a sniffle caught my attention and I turned to see what was going on.

For clarification, it's not unusual to see children standing in front of the orphanage with suitcases at their feet. In fact, given the location and what the buildings are set up for, it's a fairly common sight. Neither is seeing children of varying hair and eye colors, despite the fact that this is Japan. I still hadn't figured that one out, but I just chalked it up to an unexplainable mystery. But upon closer inspection of the boys, that mystery was now solved; I was looking at the pint-sized versions of Seto and Mokuba, the brothers who would one day become known as Kaiba.

I blinked, fighting hard to keep my face neutral. In reality I wanted to scream at the sky in frustration. I mean seriously, how more messed up could this be? I should have known, what with the city I lived in being Domino City, that _I had been reborn into freaking Yu-Gi-Oh._

Now don't get me wrong, I'd been a fan of the anime. Never really played the card game though, which might or might not be helpful now. But I'd enjoyed the show, and even watched the entire series a few times over in my previous life. Doesn't change the fact that my inner self was having a hissy fit over this.

Whoever thought that this was a funny joke, I'M NOT LAUGHING.

Amidst my internal screaming, I amazingly managed to keep my face somewhat blank. Approaching the two, I cocked my head to the side. "New here?" I asked simply, gesturing to the gates which they had yet to go through.

Mokuba couldn't answer through his soft crying, but Seto nodded once with a slightly suspicious look my way. I almost smiled at how mature the kid tried to act, but I also applauded the effort. It was hard to act unfazed and confident when your world had been shattered by a death in the family, especially of a parent. "It's not so bad here." I said softly, at which Mokuba's head peeked up a bit. He shyly looked me over and I gave him what I hoped was a comforting smile. "It's rough I know, but the pain will ease a little every day. Plus, you two have each other; that gives you something no one else here does."

Mokuba looked up at his older brother, visibly brightening. Damn if the kid wasn't absolutely adorable; but I didn't want to get too friendly with them just yet. There was a whole lot of weirdness coming their way in the future and I wasn't sure I wanted to be involved in that at all. Seto on the other hand seemed to be suspicious from the get-go, again making me want to applaud his maturity; I couldn't blame him, and wasn't offended by it at all. "Why would you say that?" Seto said, to which I shrugged.

"Seemed like the right thing to say. Besides," I said, turning to walk through the gates, "I really don't like to see kids crying." I waved a hand over my shoulder, not turning back as I made my way to my room.

Yeah, I'd need to seriously think about being involved in any part of their lives.

* * *

Now that I knew where – or more specifically, in what world – I was, I delved into my memories from my first life. I generally tended to push those things to the back of my mind, locking them up tight so I wouldn't be overwhelmed by the lingering emotions I had; the anger, the grief, the loss. Although there were happy memories in there as well, I tended to focus on my current life. Probably not the healthiest option I know, but what else was I to do? I couldn't talk to anyone about my situation without being sent to the loony bin and I wasn't keen on working through it on my own. But I needed to try and remember what I could about this world.

I spent an entire day going through my unsurprisingly vague memories, but couldn't recall the exact details. Although I'd been a fan of the show, I hadn't been obsessive about it. I watched it when I could and browsed through some online information, but that was about it. What I could remember was unhelpful to say the least.

I knew that I didn't want to be directly involved in the plot. That was far too much danger for my tastes, thank you very much. And nothing called the Shadow Realm was something I wanted to mess with, or visit at all. But I couldn't shake the image of Mokuba crying out of my head. I wanted to help, to be a part of getting them through the hard times that would come in the future but what could I do? I was just an eight year old girl in the eyes of this world. There was no way in hell I would be able to weasel my way into being adopted with them, and I knew that they had to be adopted by Gozaburo Kaiba for things to work out the way that they should. As much as I hated to say it, Seto would need to endure the hell of being adopted by that man in order to be who he was meant to. And I would have to watch him become a major ass, all while reminding myself it was necessary.

I didn't go out of my way to avoid the brothers, but I also didn't actively seek them out. We existed in this way comfortably; we spoke civilly to each other when necessary but weren't what you'd call friends. It was a sort of uneasy acknowledgment on both our parts, me acknowledging them for being decent enough kids and them acknowledging me as the first person to give either of them a kind word.

The usual routine of the place picked back up seamlessly. One day blurred into another, and before any of us knew it they had been residents at our lovely locale for just shy of two months. It was a warm spring day, so a majority of the kids had been ushered outside to enjoy the sunshine. Well, most kids did; I kept to the shade of one of the trees in the yard, reading as usual. I was on a Jane Austen fix, and was steadily making my way through the entire collection. I tuned out the cheerful shouts around me and kept to myself, focused on finding out what would happen to the residents of Mansfield Park when one voice seemed to cut through the others. Glancing up, I saw Toshiro gleefully holding a train toy out of reach of a familiar head of wild black hair. Sighing, I looked around for Seto but didn't see him anywhere. Frowning, I marked the place in my book and set it aside, brushing some loose grass off my skirt. There was no set uniform for us kids, but a majority of us tended to wear much of the same thing. For the girls, we tended to wear skirts with blouses or little sundresses. I didn't mind much, but it did bring the possibility of having to take down a bully while possibly showing my underwear to the entire playground. Personal embarassment aside, I couldn't leave the kid to the mercies of a bully, regardless of what I was wearing.

Walking over to the sandbox where all the boys were gathered, I stepped close and placed myself between Toshiro and Mokuba. "Toshiro, give him the train back." I said, crossing my arms across my chest. "Quit being such a bully."

Toshiro sneered at me, and I was actually kind of impressed that a ten year old could pull of so much contempt in one look. "Don't butt in where you're not wanted, demon girl. Just go back to your stupid books and let us have our fun." He said, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Look, you're big and bad; fine we get it. But stop being a jerk and give him back the toy." I said, frowning at the boy. "And you couldn't come up with a more creative insult for me, seriously?" I stared him down, as well as I could given that I was smaller than him but I managed. Toshiro had made one fatal error when it came to interacting with me; he had shown a weakness. I knew my eyes made him nervous, and that he hated when I stared at him, which I was currently doing. I watched him squirm under my steady gaze, and I held out a hand, palm up. "Toshiro, give the toy back."

"Shut up!" He yelled, gripping the toy tighter in one hand as his other lashed out, smacking me across the cheek. "Get out of here you freak!"

My head snapped to the side with his hit, and although it hurt I think I was more shocked than anything. I'd never been slapped before, and can say whole heartedly I did not enjoy it. A snarl sprang to my lips and I was half a second away from pouncing on him and clawing his eyes out when a familiar brown head tackled the boy to the ground. I jumped back quickly, making sure to keep myself between Mokuba and the ensuing fight – too many flying limbs made me nervous about the kid getting hit accidentally.

Seto managed to wrestle the train away from the bully, and the boy and his gang of followers took off running. I watched them go with narrowed eyes, seriously contemplating following them and getting revenge but Mokuba tugging on my skirt brought me back to what was happening. "You alright kid?" I asked, looking him over. He hadn't been hit, but I wanted to make sure he was in fact unharmed.

"Thank you for helping." Seto said, his small voice surprisingly serious but I could see a warm gratitude in his eyes. Goody me, I'd earned bonus points by standing up for his brother. I tugged on one of my curls in a nervous way. "Yeah… You did most of the work. I just diverted the jerks attention for a moment." I stilled as Mokuba reached up and gently touched my cheek, checking to see how bad the damage was. "Seriously, it's alright. For such a big mouth he can't really hit that hard."

"He shouldn't have hit you! You were only trying to help me." Mokuba said, obviously more troubled than I was about being smacked. But honestly, it barely hurt now. It was a reflexive action on Toshiro's part, and the intent to actually hurt hadn't been there. I'm sure if he tried he could have hurt me, but as it stood it was really minor.

"Eh, I was kind of courting disaster with that one. I know my eyes creep him out but it was a good diversion tactic. Not without its risks though." I said, shrugging. Mokuba seemed puzzled, his head slightly tilting to one side as he studied me. Given the fact that most people tended to avoid me because my looks unsettled them, to suddenly be studied so intently kind of made me nervous. I blushed lightly, looking away to hide my embarrassment. "What are you staring at?" I asked, making sure not to sound mean.

"I don't know why your eyes creep people out, I think they're really pretty! Don't you think so Seto?" Once Mokuba turned those big eyes towards his older brother, Seto's face noticeably softened and he gave a non-comital shrug. My blush deepened a little more, and I nervously began to kick at the sand. "Uh… Thanks. Your name is Mokuba, right?" His smile widened as he turned back to me, and I knew right there that we had just become friends. I gave him a small smile in return, and the rest of the day Mokuba, accompanied by Seto and I proceeded to become better acquainted.

The three of us fell into an easy friendship. Mokuba was arguably the cutest kid I'd ever been around, and he was so easy to talk to and cheerful that it was hard not to love him. He loved being around his big brother and me, and the three of us formed our own little clique within the orphanage. Seto was more of an observer, although he and I got along fairly well. Both were impressed when they found out that I had been bumped up a few grades, but I downplayed it as much as possible. If Seto wasn't available to help Mokuba with his homework, I inevitably was volunteered to help; not that he really needed it, both he and Seto could more than keep up with me academically. Seto and I enjoyed many bouts of chess together, although he almost always beat me. I didn't mind too much, and encouraged him to play, remembering that their adoption hinged on him beating Gozaburo in a chess match one day. Whenever the two of them used the sandbox to plan out their future amusement parks, I would perch on the side and read, occasionally making a suggestion or two. For the most part, I tried to interfere in their affairs as little as possible, content to be an observer or quiet companion. I think it really went a long way towards Seto accepting me as a friend, because every passing day he seemed more and more at ease with me. My defending his little brother and being so protective of Mokuba probably helped that more than anything.

But as always, all good things must come to an end.

* * *

Three weeks before my birthday, the brothers and I came back from school to find the caretakers running around in a flustered way. Seto and I shared a look, wondering what was going on but we shrugged it off and went to the common area, where we tended to do our homework. We only had a few weeks left in the term, but that still didn't excuse us from homework. Especially not for me, looking forward to the middle school entrance exams earlier than they were.

Joy of joys. But still, I'd found a certain kind of thrill in pushing myself to be at the top of my class. This was a big step up from my previous life, where I'd been content for just a passing grade.

When one of the women spotted me, she rushed over just as I had begun unpacking my books. "Oh Reila, today is your lucky day!" I raised an eyebrow at this statement, because nothing good ever seemed to happen around my birthday. Ever since my father had passed away, my birthday had become a day that I dreaded because it normally brought bad news. "Your uncle contacted us today, and he's coming tonight to take you home with him! Isn't that good news?" The woman continued to rattle on about how lucky and privileged I was, but I tuned her out, instead staring at my textbooks without really seeing them, trying to process what she had said.

Of course a part of me had hoped that something like this would happen, but after what my mother told me about her family I wasn't sure that I wanted anything to do with them. Coming from a home that valued love and loyalty to one another so highly, both in this life and my previous one, how could I be alright with a family that shunned one of their own for marrying someone she loved? My mother had said her brother was a good man, and maybe they would treat me better than they had my mother, but I didn't know. And my fear of the unknown threatened to engulf me as I thought about it. Noticing that the woman was still rambling, I tuned back in to her little lecture.

"… And the Sarota family is held in such high regard, and you'll never want for anything! I've heard fabulous stories about the elaborate parties they host, and you'll get to meet so many talented musicians being a part of their family, and we all know how much you love music. Oh this is the best thing that could happen to you! Now make sure you pack up all your things, your uncle said he would be coming at seven o'clock sharp to pick you up." She patted my head fondly and flounced off, gossiping with the other women about how much fortune had smiled on me. I pondered her words for a minute; 'Never want for anything' meant money, and money influenced power, which was something I desperately wanted.

I turned my eyes to the only two friends I'd really had in this life, and my thrill at getting what I wanted dimmed. Mokuba looked ready to burst into tears, and even Seto had a troubled look on his face. The three of us silently made our way to my room, the caretakers allowing them to come with me into the girl's dormitory since it was our last few hours together. Mokuba did his best to put on a brave face, but it didn't last very long. While I slipped into the bathroom to change out of the school uniform, Seto did his best to console his little brother. I held up the pale yellow dress the caretakers had given me and rolled my eyes, but put it on even though I thought the color looked horrible on me. I tended to gravitate towards more neutral colors, but apparently making girls look like dolls when they were taken in by a family was a thing here. I'd long since given up on ever styling my wild curly hair, instead just pulling it back with a white headband. Satisfied that I looked presentable I stepped back into my room, and Mokuba latched his arms around my waist in a fierce hug.

I felt my face soften into a sad smile as I hugged him back, stroking his hair. His crying had quieted a little, but I didn't expect him really calm down until sometime after I left. "Mokuba, please don't cry. You'll make yourself sick if you keep on like this, and I'll be so worried about you." I said, resting my cheek on the top of his head.

"I... I don't want you to go!" Mokuba cried, his hold tightening almost painfully on me. I was momentarily impressed by the strength he showed, but my first concern was calming the boy down. I looked helplessly to Seto, but he seemed just as baffled on what to do as I was. I might be protective of people smaller than I am, but that didn't mean that I had spent a large amount of time around small kids. I wasn't sure what to do to make them happy besides throwing candy at them.

"Mokuba, listen to me." I said gently, pulling him off me so that I could look into his eyes. I held up a finger to have him wait and went into the bathroom, wetting a washcloth and returning to gently wipe his face free of the tear tracks. "We all knew that this might happen. Eventually we would have to go our separate ways as we became adopted. I told you that the caretakers were attempting to contact my family to take me in, remember? It was just a matter of time before they heard back from them. I'm glad it took my family this long though, since it gave me a chance to meet and get to know you two better." I said, putting the washcloth away and speaking as gently as I could.

Mokuba still looked miserable. "I know that, but… Why couldn't they have taken longer? That way we could all stay together a little longer." I shook my head slowly, and Seto seemed to pick up on my thoughts and put a hand on Mokuba's shoulder. "Mokuba, even if it had been a little longer down the road it would still be just as hard, if not harder." He said, to which Mokuba just stuck out his lower lip in a pout. I tried my best to hide my amusement at the sight, but Seto noticed and we shared a smile between us.

They helped me pack up what little I had brought with me to the orphanage before we all went downstairs to wait. I gave the library books I had checked out to Seto, who promised to return them. My textbooks and school uniforms would be returned by the caretakers, so I didn't have to worry about that. The other kids had heard by this point that I was leaving, and some looked over me curiously, some resentfully. Toshiro and crew were obviously part of the latter group, but I paid them no mind. Mokuba, Seto and I sat quietly on one of the couches, enjoying what little time we had left together.

My mind was in turmoil while we sat, idly chatting and anxiously watching the clock as it ticked closer and closer to seven. On one hand I wanted to try and cement a way for us to keep in contact, but on the other hand I wasn't sure if my influence would change things. Even just being their friend might have already changed the course of events to come, and that wasn't something that I had planned for. If limiting my contact with them kept them on the right track… But that was where a war of what is right by my standards and what had to happen was inevitable, and I really didn't want to get into the deep of an internal struggle at the moment. So I did what I did best and sidestepped the situation for now.

At five till seven there was a general commotion coming from the kids who had set up an impromptu watch rotation at the windows. I did my best to ignore them, squeezing Mokuba's hand on one side of me and Seto's hand on the other. Although I appeared calm on the outside, inside I was quietly freaking out. That instinctual fear of the unknown reared up with a vengeance in my mind and it was taking all my willpower to remain outwardly calm. Well, at least to appear calm; Seto's hand tightened around mine in a comforting gesture, since I'm pretty sure he could feel the tremor of apprehension that was making its way up and down my back. Those five minutes of waiting were pretty horrific truth be told, since I didn't know what to expect. Would my uncle be as warm and kind as my mother had been, or would he be as unbending and traditional as my grandfather had been? I couldn't decide and that only added onto my agitation. Mokuba stayed close to my side, both his arms wrapped around one of mine and our fingers intertwined, taking and giving comfort at this point. Seto held my other hand, but our fingers weren't laced. It was meant to be a comforting gesture, and it did help immensely to know that I again had people willing to let me cling to them as I tried to sort through my muddled emotions.

When my uncle did appear in the room, at seven o'clock sharp just as he had promised, I have to say I was a little underwhelmed. For all my own mental hype, he was a remarkably average looking man. Tall, lean, and the same classic Asian coloring that my mother had been graced with he could easily blend into a crowd. But what his physical appearance lacked, his presence more than made up for. Just being near him made you take notice; the way he carried himself and addressed others made it clear that this man was used to giving direction and having others do as he said. But he didn't appear unkind, and his eyes did hold some of the affection that my mothers had. All in all, he seemed like a decent enough man from his appearance. Only time would tell on what his personality was like, however.

When the superintendent called me over, it took a moment to untangle myself from Mokuba's grasp. His eyes filled with tears again, and I made quiet soothing noises as I stroked his hair, helping him calm a little before I made my way to my uncle. He looked me over from head to toe, and I held myself quiet and stood straight under his scrutiny. His eyes lingered on my hair, and one eyebrow briefly quirked up at my eyes, but I couldn't see anything on his face that showed what he was truly thinking; the man had a damn good poker face. "Hello little Reila. It's nice to finally meet you." He finally said, a small smile on his face. That smile did a world of good for making his face seem less cold, and I found myself giving a small smile in return.

"Hello Uncle. Thank you for coming all this way; your kindness is beyond words." I said, giving him a respectful bow. My mother's influence still stayed with me, and my manners were second nature at this point. My uncle seemed to approve, for his eyes crinkled slightly as his smile widened just a little. Turning to the woman beside me, he nodded once and motioned for his driver, who had followed him in to take my suitcase. "We'll be leaving right away to return to the Sarota estate. Say your goodbyes while I finalize the paperwork." I nodded my understanding and turned to Mokuba and Seto, who had made their way slowly to where I was standing.

Mokuba immediately wrapped his arms around my waist again, and I hugged him back just as fiercely. When he pulled away he had tears in his eyes again, but he was doing his best to keep them held back. It almost broke my heart to see how much our parting hurt him, but I wanted him to have good memories of our time together so I kept my own pain hidden from his eyes. Instead I gave him a kiss on the cheek and brushed his hair from his eyes. "Don't be sad, Mokuba. I have a feeling that we'll meet again someday. It might be a while, but we'll find each other again. So just keep your chin up until then, alright? And you'll have Seto with you, so please don't cry." Mokuba nodded solemnly, but did give me a small smile which I returned. I then turned to Seto.

I used the term "friend" to describe me and Seto loosely. We weren't as close as Mokuba and I were, but there was something like it between myself and the brunette. We challenged each other intellectually, and were chess buddies to be sure, but aside from those things I think his main concern over my leaving was for Mokuba's sake. But I didn't fault him for it in any way, as there hadn't been enough time with the three of us to form any deep bonds. What bonds we had were from shared grief and loss, but they were there all the same. But I had grown fond of them both in our short time, and parting still pained me. I held my hand out to Seto, guessing that he would appreciate that more than a hug. He took my hand and shook it, the two of us giving each other small smiles. "Take care of yourself, and of Mokuba." I said, but when I went to take my hand back I was surprised to find he held it fast.

"I will. And be sure to work on your chess game; you leave yourself open to attack too often." Seto said gravely, which made my lips quirk up and a light chuckle escaped me. He was right, I didn't think about defense as much as I should during chess. He outranked me in the "think five steps ahead" department no doubt about it. I assured him I would, and only then did he release my hand. I heard my name called, and turned to leave. Before I'd taken two steps though, an impulsive thought took me over and I turned, kissing his cheek briefly before looking him in the eye, his face a mask of surprise.

"Don't forget about me you two. I won't forget you; you're the first real friends I've ever had." And with one last ruffle of Mokuba's hair, I turned and walked out into the entryway where my uncle was waiting. "Are you ready Reila?" He asked, eyes drifting from me to where I had left the others behind.

"Yes uncle." I said simply, keeping my voice and gaze steady. I would allow myself to mourn the loss of this place and my friends later. For now I knew that I needed to make a good impression on the man who now held my fate in his hands. His gaze on me never wavered, and he held his hand out for me to take. I did so, noting the calluses that he had; for a privileged man, he wasn't above hard work. That little bit of information went a long way to telling me about his character and I felt a little relieved that a hard working man like this would be the one I was to rely on for the foreseeable future.

"You're so young to have dealt with so much in your life. I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner to help you more." He said genuinely, leading me to his waiting car. The driver opened the door, and I took one last look over my shoulder. Mokuba and Seto had managed to shove their way to the front of the crowed of children that had gathered to see me off, and I gave them a small wave before following my uncle into the car. Once seated and buckled in I turned my head to my uncle.

"Thank you for your concern uncle, but I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I love my parents too much to ever wish for other parents, and although losing them has been hard they taught me well and loved me enough that their memories stay with me. They're not really gone, not as long as I keep their memories alive in my heart." I said earnestly.

My response seemed to catch him off guard, and he studied me a minute before smiling. "You are a clever little thing, aren't you?" His face turned serious, and a little saddened. "Tell me, did my sister… Did your mother suffer, at the end?"

I shook my head. "No, she didn't suffer." I said honestly. "She tried her best for me, but after my father's passing… I think that she was eager to see him again, even if it pained her to leave me. But she would be glad to know that I'm going with family instead of strangers. I think she'll rest easier now that I'm with you."

This seemed to be the right thing to say, for we fell into a comfortable silence, each lost in our own thoughts; me of my parents, and my uncle of the little sister he had lost.

* * *

The Sarota estate was huge. And looking at it from the viewpoint of an eight year old's body made it seem twice as big as it really was. The estate was located on four acres of lush lawns, with the mansion itself situated near the back. Since the sun had set, it was hard for me to make out details but having come from a small town in my first life and an average household in this life, to say that I was a little awestruck would be an understatement.

At least I managed to keep my jaw from dropping.

My uncle seemed amused by my reaction as he guided me into the house. Although my mother had said her family was more traditional in their thinking, the mansion was built in the "Western style" and was more familiar than a traditional Japanese house would have been to me. My uncle had explained that the house had five bedrooms, three offices, accompanying bathrooms, a formal and family dining room, and housed a private recording studio near the back of the building. He also explained that there was a decent sized library, which made my eyes light up in anticipation of seeing it. When we entered the foyer, I stopped dead in my tracks as I became captivated by the chandelier that doused the area in a warm soft glow. It was by far one of the prettiest pieces of functional art I'd ever seen.

A girl could get used to this. And as someone who enjoyed viewing pretty things, I was in hog heaven.

My uncle seemed more amused than anything by my subtle gaping, and gently led me further into the house before a black blur tackled me in a hug. "You're here, you're here!" A voice cried into my ear, and I had a momentary urge to kick the person holding me so tightly for practically shouting in my ear, but I checked the impulse before I acted on it.

"Hojo, what did I tell you about assaulting your cousin?" My uncle asked dryly, sighing as he detached the young boy from me. He stood taller than I did (not a hard feat by any means), and had the same features as his father, but his eyes were larger and his face more animated. He smiled widely as he clapped a hand onto my shoulder.

"Sorry about that, I'm just so excited that you're finally here! I'm Hojo, your older cousin. Nice to finally meet you Reila!" Hojo was much louder than myself or my uncle, but his face was kind and he did seem genuinely happy about my being here. That was another anxiety of mine relieved, as I had been worried about any children my uncle had resenting the sudden inclusion of an estranged family member.

"Oh, that's fine. You just startled me is all." I said plainly, giving him a small smile. "Nice to meet you too Hojo."

Hojo's mouth twisted into a contemplative expression. "Wow, you sure don't act like an eight year old. Dad, you sure she's only eight? Don't most girls cry or scream when they're startled?" He asked, causing his father to sigh in a blatantly paternal way. I got the immediate impression that Hojo could try even a saint's patience, but he didn't seem bad. Just a little too hyper.

"Umm, some girls do but not all of them. I've always been quieter than other girls my age." I explained, shrugging my shoulders. "I think it has something to do with how I was raised and my life experiences thus far."

Hojo studied me some more before shrugging. "Oh well. Welcome home! I can't wait to show you your room. I wanted dad to paint it pink for you but he said that wasn't a good idea since you might not like pink, so we agreed on a really pretty blue instead. If you don't like it we can always change it, and we'll have to get you some new clothes since you're a Sarota now and we have to keep up appearances… Oh, and wait until you see the grounds! I bet you'll love the gardens, its dark now otherwise I'd take you to see them but that can wait until the morning. And I'll introduce you to all the household staff, everyone's really nice and helpful and I'm sure you'll all get along great!"

Hojo's fast, intense chatter took me off guard for a moment but I quickly caught on. My uncle had explained on the drive to the estate that Hojo was an only child, as my uncle's wife had passed away during childbirth. My cousin tended to get a little lonely at times, with my uncle working as the new CEO of the family business, Sarota Entertainment, so he was absolutely over the moon with happiness that I was coming to live with them.

The way my uncle had explained it to me, he had wanted to come help my mother and I as soon as he received the letter my mother had sent him. However my grandfather had told him that if he did, he too would be disowned and left with nothing to support his son. My uncle hadn't liked it, but he had to obey my grandfather, and shortly after my mother had passed away my grandfather had too; guess heart attacks really can happen at any time. Once the business of transitioning the company into my uncle's name had been finished he'd then began looking for which orphanage had me in their care to adopt me, since my grandfather had intercepted the original message and not told anyone about it.

My grandfather did not rank high on my good list. In fact, I'm pretty sure if I had met him I would have hated him. As it stood though, I just didn't feel anything for him aside from a small amount of anger at him turning his back on my mother.

Bringing myself back to the present I smiled complacently at Hojo. "Your father is right, I'm not a huge fan of pink. But blue is my favorite color." Hojo seemed overjoyed by this, but before he could launch into another mile a minute speech, my uncle interjected.

"I'm sure Reila would like some time to settle in. I'm afraid it's a little late, but if you're hungry we can have something heated up for you." After assuring him I wasn't hungry, he nodded. "Alright then, let me show you to your room so you can get settled in." Walking up the grand staircase he led me down the hallways to my designated room, opening the door and letting me explore a little.

First thing I'll say about my room; it could have fit the room I had when I lived with my mother in it twice over with extra room to spare. I had my own private attached bathroom, a walk in closet that I was sure I would never be able to fill, a four poster canopied bed that was far larger than an eight year old needed, a desk complete with my own computer that would face out to the north and offer a view of the grounds, and a comfortable reading chair set up next to my own fireplace.

It was mind boggling, and for a moment I felt like freaking Cinderella.

My uncle studied my expression, and again he seemed amused by whatever it was he saw on my face. I suppose it would be entertaining, watching the emotions play on an eight year old face as her entire life took on a "rags-to-riches" type of story. I did my best to not look completely out of place and again thanked him profusely for his kindness. He waved off the thanks, stating that family helped each other before leaving me to settle in. "Tomorrow I've taken the day off to help you settle in more, and to take you shopping for clothes. There's nothing wrong with yours exactly, but as my son said you're a Sarota; you'll be expected to look and act a certain way from now on. However we can go into details about that later. I've contacted your school and they've agreed to let you take your exams with Hojo's private tutor, and after that your schooling will be here at the manor with tutors as well. I'm sure you'll have no problem keeping the high grades you have in the past. Sleep well Reila, we've got a busy day tomorrow."

I took my time arranging my small collection of figurines that my father had gotten me on his business trips and unpacking my clothes, almost laughing at how bare the closet looked even with my clothes stored away in it. I unpacked my books and placed them on my desk, and then changed into my pajamas, curling up in the massive bed and going over the past twenty-four hours in my head; another chapter in my life had ended, but this time it was a bittersweet one. I already missed Mokuba and Seto, but I knew that shortly they would be beyond my reach and in the hands of one Gozaburo Kaiba. Given that Kaiba Corp. was currently a weapons manufacturer, and my uncle's company was a recording agency there was little to no chance of us crossing paths in the near future. That saddened me, but it was also a good thing; less interference on my end would mean that things played out like they were meant to. A slightly depressing thought, given the psychological torture that the two would have to endure, but it was a necessary evil in the long run. Their bond as brothers would strengthen and they would take on the world while guarding each other's backs.

Once I'd settled things halfheartedly with my conscience, I eventually drifted off to sleep, eager to see what tomorrow would bring.

* * *

Hello all, Panda-chan here! Thanks so much for those who have read, liked, and followed _Monachopsis_ already... You guys are awesome and it totally made my day! Literally, I was blowing up my bestie Sereni the Undead's phone at like 1 am with how excited I was.

This chapter is almost twice the length of the first, and if the trend follows... Yeah I took a look at what I've written so far and the chapters just seem to be getting bigger and bigger =.=; Which is a good thing of course, but once the real action starts there might be a cliffhanger or two. Just fair warning from me so try not to be mad, alright?

Again thank you for taking time to read, it makes me so happy! Please feel free to PM me or drop a review with any questions, critiques, etc. I'll answer them as best I can, and look forward to hearing from you all. Talk at you later!


	3. Chapter 3

And here we are at chapter 3! Hopefully my chapters will stop growing in length, but this one has a lot of information in it that I felt I couldn't pass up.

Thanks to everyone who has read the story so far, and a special shout out to **animagirl** for being the first to review! As always, feel free to PM me with any questions, I'll reply just as soon as I can. For now, enjoy chapter 3!

* * *

 **A/N: I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

Chapter 3

Eight years. Eight years had passed since I had last set foot in Japan, and now here I was, back in the Sarota Estate, overseeing the unpacking of our furniture and the finishing touches on the remodeling of the mansion.

Oh, I'm getting ahead of myself aren't I? Let me back up a little then.

Barely four months after I'd been officially adopted into the Sarota family, Uncle Sota had announced that Sarota Entertainment was going global and opening a branch in America. As the CEO, he wanted to be there to ensure that our foothold in the American music industry was secure. So we'd all packed up and moved to Los Angeles, California. Given that America had been my native country in my previous life, it had been good to be back to visit; however, I'd missed Japan. Once you immerse yourself and really live in another culture, it's hard to go back to what you once knew as familiar. I was able to view America through a foreigner's eyes, really see and understand the differences between the cultures. It had been interesting and a little eye opening to say the least.

Plus it gave me a chance to revisit my love for burritos and tacos. But aside from that, there wasn't much to be said about being back in America. I did very little aside from studying and learning how the music industry works from my uncle.

Hojo and I continued our studies with private tutors, and I graduated with a 4.0 GPA at sixteen. After that I immersed myself into the company, helping my uncle with anything that he asked and making a name of sorts for myself. Granted most of my "fame" comes from my last name, but I am a public figure and have been made a role model for others. I maintain a good public image for our company's sake, being called the "Princess of Sarota" by the press, and help build relationships with other companies and our artists. Lately I've also branched out, appearing in some music videos and writing songs of my own, but that's about all I'm willing to do at this point. I still dislike being placed on center stage. I do enjoy producing and helping other artists reach their full potential however. My knowledge of what the popular music styles would be in the future from my previous life helped immensely in this respect, but I do try to let artists and trends develop on their own as naturally as I can. But sometimes someone requires a gentle nudge in the right direction, which I'm happy to provide.

I also do the "cleanup" work for the company, including information gathering on our competitors and weeding out rats in our ranks. The music industry is surprisingly dirty, with rival companies always trying to steal high ranking musicians and producers, corporate sabotage, stealing of music and lyrics… The list goes on and on. My uncle has made it my unofficial job to ensure that Sarota stays at the top of the music industry by not allowing these things to happen to us, and given my protective nature I am perfect for the job. This also ensures him of my loyalty to our company and that I'll do whatever it takes to protect it.

After all, the family is the company and the company is family.

That being said, I know that I'll never inherit the company, and I have no intention of ever inheriting. I have my sights set on becoming the head of the A&R Department, where my influence can be used more effectively to further our interests and not be held back by the restrictions of being the CEO. Let Hojo take that role, whenever he decides to finish growing up.

Please don't be mistaken, I adore my cousin. Hojo and I have only grown closer since our initial introduction, and I can safely say that he is my best friend. Even when I want to strangle him, I still love him unconditionally. My uncle and I have grown rather close as well, and although he can never take the place of my parents he has my love and my loyalty. He understands that my ambition goes to helping the company, not in taking over and he rewards my loyalty with his affection. It's a good trade off, all in all so I have nothing to complain about as far as my relationship with my family goes.

But the current state of our company is another matter.

Since our presence in the American music industry is secure, we were already planning on coming back home to Japan and leaving a trusted advisor in place back in Los Angeles. But a month ago, we discovered that someone in our corporate headquarters here in Domino City was leaking lyrics and music that had been written by our songwriters to our main competitor, Royalty Records. When my uncle and I found out what was happening… I don't think I've ever seen him as angry in the entire time I've known him. He was livid, and I felt the same way; one thing about our family is that we hold loyalty in the highest regards. So for one of our trusted employees to betray us in such a way sent us on the warpath.

I convinced my uncle to give me time to not only find and destroy the spy in our midst, but also to give me time to plan retaliation against Royalty Records. It took some serious use of my persuasive abilities but I succeeded on getting him to not tear through the company like a hurricane.

But until I had hard evidence in my hands I couldn't act. No matter what the circumstance, without concrete proof to back up your words, making accusations against those who were considered your seniors was asking for trouble. To save my reputation, and to give myself time to plot a fully realized revenge I would have to be patient. It's actually not as hard as some would think to get someone to slip up and implicate themselves. You add just the right amount of pressure, let a rumor or two slip and BAM! They begin panicking, and being emotionally compromised makes people slip up and become sloppy. Then all that's left to be done is sit back, make some popcorn and watch as their world implodes around them.

I never claimed to be nice; in fact, I'm a pretty vindictive bitch when you mess with my family's livelihood. But while I'm destroying someone's life for attempting to mess with mine, I have the sweetest smile on my face and that's why no one suspects me until it's too late.

In the meantime, as the sole female in the family it was expected of me to oversee the domestic side of our family. I handled the hiring and managing of the household staff, managed the household expenses and hosted all charity and company functions. This role was a purely traditional one, and my uncle had only recently handed over the domestic domain into my care, but so far I'd done well and had impressed him with my ability to multitask so well. Of course I couldn't tell him that it was from having over forty years' experience, so I just accepted his praise with a smile.

Turning my thoughts back to the present, I walked along the hallways and admired the job the interior design company I had hired and worked with had done. The goal had been to make the home both reflective of our status, but also relaxing for us when we came home; that meant lots of warm, neutral colors which I adored. The rich carpeting, tasteful paintings and overall atmosphere was exactly what I had wanted.

Spotting Hojo I made my way over to him, standing by his side and watching the movers unload his monster of a bed. Why he felt the need for such a large bed I didn't want to know. "Seriously cousin, what's wrong with a California king bed? But no, you just had to have a custom made mattress that's even bigger. I hope you appreciate how much of a nightmare it is to get linens for it."

Hojo turned a mischievous grin in my direction. "Well that's your department. I enjoy the bed; you find solutions for the problem of sheets to fit it." I rolled my eyes, but when he bumped his shoulder against mine I returned his smile. Hojo may be a pain in my ass at times and a certified playboy, but so long as he wasn't being insanely stupid I took his joking manner in stride. He meant well, and would outgrow his childish ways someday. Or at least that's what I kept telling myself.

Hojo turned with me as I made my way to the kitchen, hunting for a cup of coffee. I didn't really need the extra energy, but I drank it more for the flavor than the caffeine jolt. There was something soothing about a freshly brewed cup of coffee, and as much as I enjoyed tea, coffee still won over in my mind. "So, have you made any headway on finding our mole?" Hojo asked, keeping his voice low. Although we trusted our household staff, there were some things that we didn't want them overhearing; less from fear of them gossiping, more from not wanting to give them information that they might be tempted to sell. A good household staff could be trusted, but I hardly trusted anyone outside the family.

"Not much. I've narrowed down my list of suspects and have a trap set though. Now I just need whoever it is to take the bait. And no, I'm not going to tell you anything other than that. If this backfires on us it's best for you and your father to not be involved." I explained for the umpteenth time. I glanced his way and as I expected found a grimace on Hojo's face on more than one occasion he had made it clear that he disliked my blasé attitude about the possible negative repercussions of doing the dirty work. But I accepted it as a necessary gamble for what I did for the family.

"I wish you didn't have to think like that. Seriously Reila, why couldn't you be a normal girl who's more worried about what clothes you own and not getting so involved with the shady side of business?" He said, opening the door to the kitchen. I shrugged in response, not wanting to get into another heated discussion about what I did for the company. It was like listening to a broken record at times but I knew he meant well.

"Have you finalized the guest list for the party at the end of the month? We need to get the invitations sent off tomorrow." Uncle Sota and I had planned on inviting as many big name companies as possible to a party we would host here at the estate. The party had one purpose; to let everyone know that we were back and had no intention of giving up our moniker of number one in the industry, by strengthening our ties with the major companies here in Japan, and also showcasing the abilities of our family as heads of the company. Although a recording agency, we worked closely with movie production companies, as well as many gaming companies. I'd made sure to put Kaiba Corp. on the guest list, although I somehow doubted that Seto would accept the invitation.

I'd kept tabs on Kaiba Corp. ever since I'd left Japan. My uncle had at first wondered what my interest in a weapons manufacturer was, but once it became public knowledge that Gozaburo Kaiba had adopted two brothers from an orphanage he had understood that the boys he had seen me sitting with when he had picked me up were the boys in question. He had even been impressed when Seto had taken control of the company and turned it into such a powerhouse in the gaming industry. But I had not spoken to either of the brothers since we parted, and I planned to use the invitation to at least give myself a chance to reconnect with the two. I also had allowed myself to be photographed multiple times since our return to Japan, and soon the music video that I had co-starred in would make its debut, although I doubted that either Seto or Mokuba watched many music videos. But since it was with our leading solo artist Gorou Kimoto, who was the equivalent to Gackt Camui from my previous life, I was bound to at least be mentioned to them and that would hopefully open up a way for me to reunite with them.

Hojo nodded as I handed him a cup of coffee. "Yeah, I sent it to dad's assistant so she can send out the invitations in the morning. And I forwarded a copy of the list to your email so you can look it over too." He said, leaning against the counter beside me. "I still don't see why we can't just send out notes to everyone instead of hosting some giant party. Something simple, ya know? Just a piece of paper that says 'We're back, we're bad, and we'll still kick the asses of anyone who stands in our way'." Hojo winked at me and I laughed, because honestly if we could do something like that it would save me a lot of work, not to mention save us all time and headaches.

"Be careful, someday you might meet someone who takes your teasing seriously. And heaven help us if that ever happens." I said, pulling out a stool and perching on the top, kicking off my stilettos. I'd finally grown to a respectable 5' 5" (roughly 165 centimeters since we're back in Japan and I have to readjust to the metric system) but compared to men like my uncle and cousin I was still considered small and petite. As such I tended to wear three inch stilettos to add a little bit to my height, and also because I looked fabulous in them and I'd grown so used to heels that I felt vulnerable without them.

Hojo nudged one of them with his toe, his expression making it clear that he still didn't understand how I managed to wear them all day and not complain. "I am being serious. I know how much work this party will make for you, and you've already got a full plate with finding the mole and overseeing Yumi's next video. Speaking of, her manager sent over a list of possible locations. Since they want to do the shoot at a school he sent a list of ones that he thought would be the best and that will be available during the next break the schools have. He's leaving the final choice up to you though."

I felt a soft smile grace my face at his concern. "Don't worry about me Hojo. I can handle it all, and if I find myself being overwhelmed you know that I'll come to you for help." I knew that he meant well, but sometimes it was hard not to get frustrated with the way he treated me. I had to constantly remind myself that in their eyes, I was a seventeen year old genius who acted way older than her years. But others outside of my immediate family recognized my drive and dedication too; our top female artist, Yumi Sarada blatantly refused to work with anyone other than myself. It was a sore subject amongst the board members and the head of A&R, but it cemented the fact that I would someday be the head of that department and there was little they could do to stop it. With my uncle and cousin backing me, as well as the backing from some of our top tier artists they would have to be completely insane to not let me take over the department in the future.

Finishing my coffee I gave Hojo a quick kiss on the cheek and made my way to my bedroom. Although Hojo and his father had home offices, I didn't have an official role within the company and it seemed a waste to use another room for a home office for myself. Especially when my room was plenty big enough to fit a full sized desk and all the equipment I could need. Stepping inside, I smiled slightly as I soaked in the feeling of comfort and home, pleased that little had been changed. The walls were still a pale blue, the carpet still a pretty cream color but I had updated the curtains and linens to more age appropriate styles. The cavernous closet that I had once believed could never be filled in fact had been, but what I owned more than any of was shoes.

Hey, everyone has the one thing they cannot live without.

Going to my desk I booted up my computer, picking up my PDA while I waited for it to finish the startup process. A flood of emails stared back from the screen at me and I sighed, seeing that the most recent were from Yumi and her manager. Most people would question why a manager was constantly seeking advice and leaving the decision making for his client up to someone else, but the arrangement worked for us; he was manager in name and got the salary and recognition for it, while I remained safely on the sidelines and out of the limelight. For now I ignored those and looked over the list of invitees that we could expect in a few weeks. The usual names were there of course, including some electronics manufacturers, some high profile celebrities and musicians, the current conductor of the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, and our most trusted associates and companies that we worked closely with on many projects. And there, towards the bottom of the list was Kaiba Corp.

Smiling to myself I pulled up the email from Mr. Yuji, Yumi's manager. The list was fairly short, as Yumi herself had already screened the first list, but was having a hard time picking form the three schools that had made the final cut. The first one I knew from looking at the information provided wouldn't do at all; the location was bad and the overall look of the school didn't fit her style nor the style of the video. The other two were closer in looks to what the director of the video wanted, and it would be easy enough to get the education board's permission to film; a donation to the arts department would secure the green light on their end, and then all it would take is getting the principal of the school to approve the use of the building for a filming project. The estimated time frame was four weeks, split up over four separate Sundays so it wouldn't interfere with the student's schooling.

A quick online search of the principals and I had their basic information. Both appeared amiable and would be more than happy for their school to get the notoriety that the video would give it, and the uniforms Yumi would adore since they both used her favorite color; pink. I spent some more time looking over pictures of the school buildings and debating the pros and cons when a news article caught my eye. Clicking the link, I scanned the article, a slow, devious grin coming over my face. It would seem that Arisu Watanabe, the youngest of the Watanabe family attended Domino City High School. And the Watanabe family also ran Royalty Records. What better way to show them that they were in my sights than to use the very school that their youngest family member attended?

I sent off the email to Mr. Yuji right away. Tomorrow I would go to Domino City High and secure the use of the building.

* * *

One more hour, and he could finally leave this ridiculous school for the day. Although Domino City High ranked as one of the top 5 schools in the area, Seto Kaiba still detested the time that he had to spend here. But just a few more credits and he could get his diploma, and get the current board members at Kaiba Corp. off his back. He couldn't re-write the current terms that required the CEO of Kaiba Corp. to have a valid high school diploma from an accredited school, not tutors like he had been used to. No, that snake Gozaburo had tried to undermine his authority from the grave. Well the joke was on him, because not only was Seto already CEO, but he would be re-writing that clause as soon as possible. And a few of the mouthier board members would be needing to find new employers in the near future, just for good measure.

At least everyone in his class had finally come to the realization that he had no intention of socializing or becoming friends with any of them. Running a company took priority over friendship any day, and as the youngest CEO currently in the business he had too much pressure to deliver and maintain his status at the top. He had his brother, his company, and currently held the title of the best duelist worldwide. He didn't need anything else.

His narrowed gaze lifted from his book to the teacher at the front of the class, who had seemingly given up trying to get his class in order before the bell rang and instead gave them some time in between lessons to socialize and cause as much noise as possible. Something about it promoting a positive atmosphere or some similar drivel. Seto brushed it aside, remaining in his seat and reading a book to keep others at bay. One thing that he could be halfway grateful to the school for was allowing him to make time to read. Since he generally knew most of the course work, successfully maintaining his status as a genius, that left him ample time to brush up on reading that classics that he was fond of. He remembered being influenced by someone to read classical literature, but he could barely remember their face let alone their name; all he remembered were a pair of black eyes.

"Hey, a limo just pulled up outside. Wonder who it is?" Seto's gaze shifted to one of his female classmates standing by the window. Her comment caught the attention of those near her and they wandered over as well, a low murmur starting to circulate around them.

"Who could it be? Arisu is already at school, and she and Kaiba are the only ones who come regularly in limos."

"It's gotta be a celebrity, but what celebrity would be coming to the school?"

"Maybe it's Gouro Kimoto finally coming to confess his undying love to you, Miki."

Seto rolled his eyes and stood, going to one of the farther windows and peering out. No insignias or noticeable marks on the vehicle itself gave him any indication, but what if it was a business rival? He needed to find out who it was so that the class would quiet down and he could get through this last hour in relative peace. Finally the door opened, and a small feminine figure emerged. The most striking thing about her was her hair, deep red wild curls that fell down to her waist lit up like a beacon under the afternoon sun. Her clothes looked to be higher end and were simple yet tasteful, and she was talking on a cell phone as she walked to the front doors. Seto tried to place her but nothing was coming to mind of any recent acquaintances or partners. A high ranking female in the business world wasn't unheard of but still not common, especially one with that hair color. He'd almost dismissed her as unimportant when another voice rang out.

"No way… It's Reila Sarota!" A classmate exclaimed, and the noise level rose as everyone began to recognize her. Seto blinked as the pieces clicked into place, and again peered down at the girl who had stopped to finish her phone call before entering the building. It had been years since they'd seen each other, and then her name had been Reila Castille, but now that he could put a name to the 'face' he wondered how he could have forgotten that hair. Then again, her eyes and her mannerisms were the things he remembered the most, when she crossed his mind from time to time.

"Wait, who is she?" Seto's eyes turned to the blonde haired loud mouth that spoke with such a heavy accent… Welch? Welling? He couldn't remember his name.

"Reila Sarota. Honestly Joey don't you pay attention to anything other than Duel Monsters? She's the youngest member of the Sarota family, and they're huge in the entertainment world. Mostly music, but they also manage models and dancers. Her family recently moved back to Japan and Cure magazine did an entire story on their return." His brown haired friend said, fishing a magazine out of her bag and showing it. Seto caught a glimpse of the cover and sure enough, there she was.

She was no longer a child that was for sure. Although her uncle was the main focus of the picture, being seated on a throne with his son standing confidently to his left, Reila was perched on the right arm of the throne, a confident smirk on her face as her black eyes stared straight into the camera. The picture said exactly what it was supposed to; that music royalty was back in a big way. He quickly assessed everything from the way she held herself to her now grown features; she had never been a beautiful child, but she had grown up to be a striking woman.

"Wait a minute, I remember hearing something about that now. They call her the Princess of Sarota don't they?"

"That's right. Her mother left the family to marry a man she loved against the wishes of her father, but she and her husband passed away after Reila started school; she was adopted by her uncle back into the Sarota family not long after."

"Wow, dat's pretty cool. Think she's here to register as a student?"

"No, she's already graduated. She's like a certified genius or something, but she focuses more on the family business than anything, while taking online college courses for her degree." The girl said, obviously star struck. "The Sarota family is known for not only being sharp witted and powerful in business matters, they value loyalty and honor above anything else. That's what makes them so powerful; the loyalty that their artists and workers have to the family."

Seto tuned the rest of their conversation out as he watched one girl hang out the window to wave and yell how much she adored Reila, who in turn looked up with a startled look on her face. But she recovered quickly and gave a polite smile; but he could see it was a fake smile. Seto remembered what her real smile looked like, and this one lacked the warmth that her true smile held. Turning back to his seat he passed Arisu Watanabe, and noted the troubled look on her face. Seto knew that Royalty Records and Sarota Entertainment were rivals, but Reila being here shouldn't have troubled her this much, unless the Watanabe's were too scared to take on Sarota head-on.

Continuing to his seat, he noted that the bell had rung and the teacher was finally able to get the class into some semblance of order, but the general buzz in conversation was a question he was asking himself; what was a member of the Sarota family doing here?

* * *

An hour after stepping foot onto Domino City High's campus, I had the written agreement signed by the principal to allow us the use of the campus for the next four Sundays to film the video. I had been right, the principal was amiable and humbled that his school had been chosen for such a "prestigious event". And a ¥15,000,000 donation to their arts department secured the education board's approval. The principal was still overjoyed, bowing low and expressing his deepest thanks and thanking me for the students who would benefit from so much generosity.

Never let it be said that I lack in the persuasion department. It also didn't hurt that our donation to them was three times as much as their highest donation to date.

The final bell had just rung and I sighed as I tucked the paperwork into my purse, debating on whether or not I wanted to fight the crowds or wait until the students had thinned out before leaving. I didn't have any other appointments today, but I wanted to deliver the contract as quickly as possible before word of what happened got around. And given that Arisu was somewhere in those halls, I wondered if it would be wisest for me to keep my distance. I had seen her in the classroom where my supposed fan had been precariously hanging out of the window so I knew she was aware that I was here, but staying out of her immediate way might be the best thing. I don't want to tip them off that I'm onto them too soon.

"Ms. Sarota, I hope you will give me the pleasure of escorting you back to your car? I'm sure you have many other appointments today." The principal said, and although that couldn't be farther from the truth keeping the appearance of a busy person who took time out of her schedule to deliver the news in person was better for my image. I agreed and tucked my hand into the crook of his elbow, allowing him to pull me out into the sea of students.

Almost immediately, I realized his plan; he wanted to be seen with someone famous. I heard my name shouted a few times, and the clicks of cellphones taking pictures, but I kept a pleasant smile on my face the entire time and did nothing but allow him to escort me to the locker area. "Here is fine, sir. I think that there are a few people who want to speak to me anyway." I said when we reached the front doors, and I spied a small party of Royalty Record cronies waiting. Arisu stood slightly behind her older cousin Kaiji, who was glowering at me as though I'd personally insulted him. Which given that I had chosen this school specifically, the case could be argued that I had insulted him. But he would have to have proof of that, which he didn't.

Leaving the principal with a puzzled expression on his face, I stepped out the doors and stopped a little ways from them, with the same pleasant smile on my face. "If it isn't the Watanabe cousins; a pleasure to see you both again." I said, which only seemed to set Kaiji on edge.

"Spare me the pleasantries Reila. What do you think you're doing here? You've no business being at this school." Kaiji said, his dark eyes narrowed as he looked me over from head to toe. From his business suit it was obvious that he had just come from the office. Arisu had probably called him as soon as she saw me come on campus, and given how new she was to the industry she was probably terrified of meeting me face to face without her older cousin as backup. Glancing at the girl my suspicions were confirmed; she was all but trembling with anxiousness to get away from me. I weighed my options quickly, but a small boast couldn't hurt much, could it?

"I was merely securing use of the grounds for Yumi's next promotional video. She adores using authentic school buildings, and since the uniform uses her favorite color for the jackets, Domino City High was the obvious choice. One must keep their artists happy to ensure their loyalty." I said politely, barely keeping the smirk from my face as Kaiji winced. It was a bit of a low blow, reminding him that at least three higher grossing artists had defected for Royalty to join Sarota, but sometimes small reminders that they weren't the top dogs were necessary. "I suppose you're here to pick up your cousin? That's so sweet of you to take time out of your schedule for her."

Again, another dig but one that was so subtle no one without knowledge of their family would catch it. It was rare to see two members of the family together outside of formal functions. The Watanabe family wasn't as tightly knit as my uncle, cousin and I were but they did come together in times of crisis. Although bickering and small grudges between the sons existed, as their father had yet to name a successor to the company, it was surprising that they spent so much time arguing with one another instead of proving to be worthy of the company. Kaiji colored a little at the obvious dig, since I knew for a fact that he was the least busy of his three brothers; he was the youngest and his two elder brothers were halfway decent producers who generally had their hands full trying to manage Royalty's top tier artists. When he opened his mouth to retort, I silenced him by holding up a finger. "Now Kaiji, let's keep this conversation pleasant and peaceful. After all, there are eyes and ears everywhere." I said, glancing to the side where cell phones were out and pictures of our exchange being taken. His jaw snapped shut, obviously wanting to retaliate but having the common sense to keep his mouth shut in front of so many witnesses.

A pity, because I do enjoy putting someone in their place after an angry outburst.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I watched with amusement as he tried to come up with a way to make a remark without it being obviously snide. But he wouldn't be able to match me and we both knew it. When it came to word games and puzzles I was at the top of my age bracket, and given my pristine public image anything said against me would be taken as slander and backlash on him. I had him cornered and he knew it, but being the "Princess" that I was I was willing to accept his quiet retreat graciously. Instead he plastered a fake smile on his face and waved subtly to his hoodlums who backed down from their attempted intimidation stance.

"Forgive me, it was just a shock to see you here is all. You've barely been back in Japan a month and you're already so hard at work; I'm sure that your company appreciates the effort and all your hard work." I could appreciate the subtle rebuke, but comments like that only worked if you took offense to them. It was common knowledge that I wasn't in the running to inherit the company, and it didn't bother me so I shrugged off his comment.

"My uncle does, and that's all the thanks I need." I said simply, and checked my watch. "As pleasant as it's been talking with you, I do need to be heading out. There's no rest for the wicked after all." I said, starting forward only to have Kaiji block my way.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Reila." He said it so lowly I knew that he intended for no one but me to hear it. "Sarota won't be on top long, and when it falls I hope you have more than your pretty face to fall back on."

Turning my head I looked him dead in the eyes, knowing that my penetrating gaze made him uncomfortable. "Kaiji, the day that you can take me by surprise is the day that I willingly hand over the title of top company in the entertainment industry to you. Until then, keep your threats to yourself and stay out of my way. Those who cross Sarota don't stick around to tell others about their mistakes." I said, my face taking on a serious look. He took an involuntary half step back and I took that as my cue to leave, but before I'd taken three more steps a hand on my elbow stopped me. Taking a deep breath I turned expecting it to be Kaiji again, but instead found piercing blue eyes gazing into my own. It took a moment for my mind to catch on to what had happened before realization came crashing down. I felt my mouth open in shock, but quickly composed myself and a genuine smile formed on my lips.

"Seto…"

* * *

When class had finally been dismissed, Seto made his way quickly to the front doors. All through his last class one question had run through his mind; to approach Reila or not. There was little benefit in a personal relationship anymore, but a business relationship would prove beneficial to them both. Sarota was at the top of the music and entertainment industry, and the virtual reality game he was developing could be made even better with the help of the music writers they kept on staff.

He might be a genius in many aspects, but music wasn't his strongest point; and his products would only use the best products.

But the main reason he had decided to approach her was Mokuba. He knew that of them two of them, Mokuba was the one that missed Reila the most. He had looked up to her and idolized her when they had been in the orphanage together, and her leaving had been a serious blow to his little brother. And Mokuba would be very upset it Seto had the chance to reunite them and hadn't.

He had seen Arisu Watanabe excuse herself to make a call and knew that she was calling her family to report what had happened. Too many people thought that the music industry was all sunshine and rainbows but that wasn't the reality. It was just like any other type of business, cutthroat and harsh, and it would each you alive and spit you out if you didn't know what you were doing. He had long suspected that the Watanabe family were just smart enough to make it big but not smart enough to stay at the upper levels for long, and this proved it to him; their youngest not knowing how to handle a rival on her own. Even his younger brother knew how to handle himself, and Mokuba was the nicer of the two brothers and wouldn't leave you bleeding on the floor.

When the bell rang he made his way quickly through the halls, staying at the edges of the crowds that gathered to see Reila and take her picture. He watched as she was paraded down the halls by the principal and studied the way she moved; it was a confident walk, but still feminine enough to be misleading if you didn't know what you were looking for. Her stilettos added onto her petite height, but she was just as tiny and unassuming as she had been when she was a child. Her eyes still held that fire though, the same fire that led her to stand up to a kid twice her size in defense of a kid she hadn't known at the time. It was a warning to those around her; she would not take things laying down, but would come out swinging.

When she made her way alone to face the Watanabe family's attempt at a threat he felt a little bit of respect for her forming. She had seen the blatant scare tactic for what it was and faced it not only head on, but without any support, because she hadn't needed it. Her voice had carried to where he stood just outside the door, and her verbal thrashing had amused him. She knew how to use her words subtly and effectively, making it clear that there was little about the Watanabe family that she didn't know. She was intelligent and insightful, hitting on weak points all while keeping a smile on her face. She'd become devious, knowing how to cut someone to size while keeping the appearance of a well-mannered, unassuming girl.

She'd be a dangerous enemy, and an invaluable ally.

Seto had already decided to approach her on his brother's behalf, but seeing her in action made him think that he should also approach her to have as an ally. At the very least, he needed to keep her in his sights just in case she decided to turn those claws in his direction. Although he had no doubt that he could run circles around her, he had a feeling she would prove to be a challenge to overcome. He vaguely recalled telling her to work on her strategy making skills before she left the orphanage they'd been at; it would seem that she had taken his advice to heart and improved by leaps and bounds.

Skirting around the edges of the crowd that had grown, he waited for her to leave the Watanabe punk behind before he took her elbow, stopping her in her tracks. He felt her initially stiffen in his grasp, but she kept her composure as she turned to him, her face a mask of disapproval as her eyes darted across his face. He waited, and sure enough recognition lit upon her face and her mouth opened in shock. Her eyes widened, and before she could stop herself his name escaped her quietly, as though she couldn't believe it was him.

"Reila." He said simply, releasing her elbow and studying her face closely. The blankness left and her eyes softened, a small warm smile forming on her face. This was the smile he remembered; warm, small, but real in the happiness that she was expressing. In the past he might have returned it with a similar smile, but he had only stopped her for one reason; his brother. "Mokuba will want to see you. Come with me."

* * *

Seeing Seto before me was a shock to say the least. Although I had known he went to this school (Which I did my best _not_ to let that influence my decision when choosing where to shoot the video) I hadn't expected to run into him so soon. I had actually been thinking that it would be good not to run into him right away; I didn't want to seem desperate to see him again. Too much time had passed between now and the last time we spoke, time in which we'd both changed in ways that would make it impossible to pick right back up with our friendship. I for one knew that I was more vicious and vindictive, but I also knew that Seto made me seem like a tame fluffy kitten in comparison. There were so many factors that needed to be looked at before I could safely say that we could even be friendly towards one another anymore.

But it would seem that he had taken that choice away from me. He had approached me, and although there was nothing in his facial expressions that gave away any remaining feelings of attachment, his eyes held recognition and just a hint of respect. That was enough for me, for having even some respect from Seto Kaiba was worth a hell of a lot more than the admiration of those around me.

But his tone could use some work. I wasn't a little girl to be ordered around by him, and he needed to be made aware of it. His commanding tone might work on others, but I would make it clear from the start; I was not to be treated as someone beneath him. He may be CEO of a company and hold more sway in the business world than I do, but I am not his subordinate and I won't be treated as such. The only man who can order me about currently is my uncle, and even he watches his tone when asking me to do things.

Taking out my PDA, I made a show of checking my schedule. Again, the appearance of being in high demand and busy was worth a lot. "I don't see anything that can't be rescheduled. I'd love to make time to see Mokuba." I said, giving him a pointed look. He nodded briskly and began walking to his car, with me falling into step easily beside him. Whispers and speculation followed us, and again the clicking of cameras but I ignored them and motioned for my driver to approach.

"Shuichi, you can head home now; I'm heading to visit with some old friends. I'll call you when I'm ready to come home." I said, smiling up at him. Shuichi had been my personal driver for almost seven years now, and a better man I couldn't ask for. He was polite, dedicated, and loyal to a fault. He hesitated, eyeing Seto and looking me over. "Its fine, Shuichi. Go home and say hello to Mariko for me." I assured him, sensing his uneasiness. His wife Mariko would chew him up if anything happened to me, but that's why she was head of our security force. Never piss off the woman; I've seen her make grown men cry with just a look.

"If you're sure Ms. Sarota..." He said finally, stepping back towards the car. "Just call whenever you're ready to be driven home, I'll be waiting."

I smiled again and made a shooing gesture with my hand, which he responded to with a laugh and finally drive away. Seto's driver opened the door for me and I slid easily across the leather interior, followed shortly by Seto himself. Settling back I sent a quick email to my cousin and uncle, letting them know that I would be a bit later coming home than I originally planned. My uncle didn't mind me going out on my own, so long as I made him aware of where I was going and that I made sure to tell him when I was heading home. Once that was done I set my things aside, seeing Seto watch me out of the corner of my eye. "When my plans change I notify my uncle and cousin so that they don't worry needlessly about me."

"You've grown close to them." It wasn't a question, it was an observation. Time had made me forget just how observant Seto could be; even as a child he'd picked up on things quicker and been more observant than most. Whereas I had the advantage of mental age, he was an actual genius; it shouldn't have been so easy to forget but I had.

"Yes, they've both been very good to me these past years and I owe them a great deal." We lapsed into silence, but not an uncomfortable one. That aspect of our childhood seemed to have remained at least, the ability to be content with not speaking. It wasn't a complete silence, as I could hear the lightest strains of music coming from where his driver sat so I was content to sit back and watch the world pass outside the windows. But Seto surprisingly seemed intent on getting information out of me.

"What brought your family back to Domino City?"

I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, wondering at his uncharacteristic chattiness. Seto Kaiba was not one to mince words, so he was looking for something. But instead of outright asking me about it, he was testing me. What the test was for I didn't know, but if he wanted to play games than I was willing to play along; for now. "We've got a sound start in the American industry now. Our immediate presence was no longer required, so we decided to return home to ensure our legacy here was just as sound as it always has been." I was careful not to give away too much, but also give him enough information to satisfy him. Strictly speaking I knew that there was little chance of him becoming a rival of mine; so long as I stayed out of Duel Monsters I was hardly a threat to him. But he would question my easy acceptance of him after so many years, and I had to maintain the image of a shrewd, business savvy young woman. So I would have to act distant and slowly warm up to him, instead of picking up where we left off all those years ago.

Seto seemed to accept this and sat back, another small pause in our conversation. "You've done well for yourself." I stated, looking at the bold "KC" imprinted onto his briefcase. He didn't comment, but did give a small nod as he pulled out his laptop, presumably working on something for his company. I in turn went back to viewing the outside world, watching downtown Domino slide by at a steady pace. Although I had reservations about how Seto and I would be around each other, I was excited to see Mokuba again. I'd missed those big eyes and his joyful laugh more than I thought I would, but again Mokuba was just the kind of kid that wormed his way into your heart and didn't leave.

It took maybe fifteen minutes for us to arrive at the Kaiba estate, and I stepped out of the car and looked over the outside, impressed by the size. It was roughly the same size as the Sarota estate, but the architectural styling was different enough to make them polar opposites. Still, the size, style, and landscaping was impressive and I looked it over with an appreciative eyes. Seto gave me time to take in my surroundings before leading the way into the house, which was also impressive. Although I personally preferred warmer neutral tones to make the house more inviting, he seemed to prefer darker, more masculine tones; dark woods and deeper colors. But the styling was elegant and pleasing, and again I looked it over with pleasure. I'd been spoiled in this new life of mine and enjoyed being in tastefully decorated areas, if not luxurious ones.

I guess I was like a Sim in that aspect; sign me up for a positive moodlet!

Again, whether it was pride in his home, pleasure from showing off, or giving me a chance to regain my bearings Seto again paused to allow me to study the area. I'm fairly certain it was the first choice, but either way I appreciated it. After giving me a few moments to look things over he led me into a large study, complete with bookshelves lining the walls and comfortable looking chairs beside a fireplace. I could practically feel my eyes light up with joy as I quickly went to one bookcase, scanning the titles. Classic titles mixed with advanced electronic studies, psychology books placed amongst scientific theories; a girl could get used to this. His collection was almost as impressive as my own, and that was saying something. "You've quite the collection." I said approvingly, pulling out a copy of _Brave New World_ and looking it over.

"Of course; someone once told me that the measure of ones intellect is shown in their literary collection." His remark made me pause and I looked over at him, the smallest hint of the boy he had once been showing in his eyes. I smiled at his remark and placed the book back on the shelf, moving to stand next to the desk he had sat himself at. "I did say that once, didn't I?"

He merely nodded in reply, and began unpacking his briefcase. "Mokuba will be home in half an hour. I have some things I need to take care of so find a book or something until he gets home." And with that the flash of the boy I'd known was gone, replaced with this older, harder version. I silently sighed but made my way back to the bookshelf, picking up _Brave New World_ again and settling into a chair by the fireplace, content to read and let him work. It was a cozy scene and one that I was more than used to; growing up I would do almost exactly this when my uncle was working, only then I was studying and doing homework. I tried to allow myself time to read for pleasure, but once I took on more responsibility with the company my personal time had been severely cut down. Between managing the household and running errands for Sarota Entertainment I was kept fairly busy, but still managed to have some time to relax and unwind. Kicking off my shoes and placing the neatly by the chair, I tucked my feet beneath me and lost myself in literary fantasy, Seto's rhythmic typing on the computer keeping the silence at bay.

* * *

Seto had reservations at first about having Reila nearby while he worked, but she seemed to pick up quickly on his obvious want for quiet. She was much the same as they had been before; content to merely be nearby but not in the way. If not for her occasional page turning she could easily pass for a statue in his study, she was so quiet and unobtrusive. Remembering that she hated silence, he picked up a remote and turned on low classical music; it helped him concentrate and would put her more at ease so she wasn't tense when she met Mokuba again. He watched for the corner of his eye as she perked up a bit once the music started, and she flashed him an appreciative smile before returning to her book.

He was thankful for her apparent ease with not talking. He hated idle chatter, and only tolerated it from his brother because of his love for the younger boy; but Reila had always been a quiet companion, preferring background noise to fill silences. Now that he was in her presence, more and more memories of their time together were returning, things that he had locked away and never thought of because at the time they hadn't served any purpose. He'd barely given her a second thought after being adopted by Gozaburo, too focused on his studies and getting the upper hand with the old geezer. It had taken him by surprise that he had missed her as much as he had once she'd left to be with her family, given that they were barely friends. Mokuba had been the glue that had kept the three of them together, but even with his younger brother not here they fell into their old ways easily enough. Perhaps she had been more of a friend than he admitted to himself. Regardless, he kept his mind focused on his work, knowing she would be plenty occupied by the book she held in her hands.

Right on time he heard the front door open and the sound of Mokuba's footsteps grew louder the closer they came to the study. He paused in his work and glanced in Reila's direction, but she seemed engrossed by her book and oblivious to who was approaching. Just as he always did whenever Seto came home right after school, Mokuba came in with a bright smile on his face, happy to see Seto at home instead of at his company office. "Big brother! I thought you'd be at the office today."

"Change of plans." Seto replied, continuing to work. Mokuba waited patiently, pulling his homework out of his bag. Normally when Seto was home he oversaw Mokuba's homework just as he had for as long as both of them had been in school. "You going to have time to look over my work?" Mokuba asked, pulling up a chair to sit beside the desk.

"Too busy. Why don't you ask her for help?" He paused in his typing to look over at Mokuba, who had a puzzled look on his face. He could have easily told Mokuba who it was, but he wanted to see his reaction first hand; it would be a true indication on how Reila and Mokuba reacted to each other after all these years.

* * *

I'd set my book aside as soon as I heard Mokuba enter the room, and watched with partial amusement as he completely ignored my presence in the room. Then again, I don't think Seto brought people home with him often (if he ever did, which I doubted) so someone else being in the room had probably not crossed his mind. Watching the exchange between the two brothers I briefly wondered what Seto would be like without Mokuba; his younger brother was probably the only thing that helped him retain some of his humanity at this point. Honestly, Seto without Mokuba was a frightening thought. Although he had yet to show me the ruthless side of him, it was apparent in his mannerisms and way of speaking that he could and would cut someone down to size in the blink of an eye.

I studied Mokuba, and felt my face immediately soften as I took in the younger Kaiba's features. His face had thinned a little, but those big eyes were still the same and his hair just as wild. His eyes were still full of adoration for his older brother, and that more than anything showed me that he was still much the same. He too had suffered under Gozaburo's brief reign over the brothers, but it had obviously strengthened the bond between them and I was glad that at least outwardly he didn't appear that much worse for wear. He was still animated, still cheerful and just purely Mokuba. I stood quietly, not bothering to put my shoes back on; Mokuba was one person I could safely say I was taller than, plus I had a sneaking suspicion that I would be knocked flat on my ass if he decided to tackle me while I was wearing heels.

I waited patiently, and I won't lie I was feeling a little uneasy; there was no guarantee that Mokuba would be as happy to see me as I was to see him. We had been close as children, but so much time had passed that it was difficult to judge what kind of reception I would get. Seto's reaction to seeing me was pretty much what I thought it would be, but Mokuba… This could go one of a hundred ways. It might sound bad, but I really hoped there wouldn't be any tears; I still didn't know how to handle crying kids easily.

Hearing Seto's response to Mokuba's question I almost laughed aloud. I'd always pictured him being straight forward even with his brother, so this almost playful side of him was not something I was expecting. But it was enjoyable to see, even if it was at my expense. Mokuba's look of confusion continued as he finally turned his big eyes away from his older brother and landed on me, and his brows furrowed for a moment as he tried to figure out who I was. It took him so long to say anything that I began to grow nervous, and one hand unconsciously reached up and pulled on a curl, a habit that I thought I'd gotten rid of years ago.

Apparently this was the right thing to do, because his eyes brightened and he was suddenly running at me, latching his arms around my waist in a tight hug before I realized what was going on. "Reila!" His happy cry was slightly muffled, and it took me a moment to make sure I wasn't going to fall before I could return his hug with equal force, still amazed at just how tightly he could squeeze. For a kid, his hugs were surprisingly strong.

"Mokuba… Can't breathe…" I finally said, beginning to grow uncomfortable with how much force his hug had. He pulled back a little and looked up at me sheepishly, but I just smiled and brushed the hair from his eyes like I had so many times before. "I've missed you too, Mokuba." I answered his silent thoughts, and Mokuba snuggled closer, but didn't squeeze any harder thankfully. I looked up at Seto, who was watching us both intently and gave him an appreciative smile. He didn't have to invite me to his house (well order me, but here's to hoping he never pulls that tone with me again) but he did to make his brother happy, and since it involved me and made me happy… Yeah, I was thankful.

Seto nodded once, seemingly pleased with the general state of the reunion and returned to his work. Just in time too, because the next thing I knew I was being peppered with questions from Mokuba. I laughed quietly and led him to the chairs close to the fireplace, and began answering them quietly and letting Seto get back to work. We went through the usual pleasantries, briefly explaining what had happened to each of us since we had last seen each other, so on. Both of us seemed to know that we each had more to say, but time and experience had made me cautious about saying too much and Mokuba seemed to want to gloss over his years with Gozaburo as quickly as possible.

"So you're trying to become the head of A&R for Sarota? What exactly does that mean?" He asked when he asked about my spot in the company, and I had to remind myself that an A&R department was a lesser known but invaluable part of the music industry.

"A&R stands for artists and repertoire, and they're basically the bridge that connects the artists to the record label. Everything from talent scouting, marketing, promotion, producing the albums and setting up touring dates all falls under their jurisdiction. It's one of the most important parts of the industry, and one that I'm best suited for. I'd be working directly with the top tier artists and their managers, overseeing the recording of new albums, and generally ensuring that the talent that signs on with Sarota Entertainment will be first class." I explained, and watched as Mokuba's eyes grew wide.

"So basically you'd be in charge of everything to do with your artists."

"In a nutshell yes that's it. Although the CEO is the more publically acknowledged powerhouse of the company, the head of A&R holds just as much power without being in the spotlight. Right now it's pretty much a guaranteed that I'll one day be asked to take the position, but I want to gain more experience before I take the role officially." I said, feeling myself grow a little bolder as Mokuba looked at me with wide, impressed eyes.

"Wow Reila… But why not just take control of the company? I mean it sounds like you could do that no problem." He asked, frowning a little. I almost started at the comment, but remembered that Seto had done just that. Mokuba worshipped Seto, and what Seto did was the standard to which Mokuba held everyone.

"My cousin Hojo has been being groomed since the day he was born to eventually become the CEO of the company. He's better suited for managing a company than I am. People and artists I can handle; but when it comes to the actual business side of the industry he's one of the best. There's a reason why the Americans called him a shark in the water; he can sense a weakness that can be used to further our company's goals better than anyone I know. For all his immaturity and wild ways, when he enters that boardroom he is all business and not afraid to kick ass and take names." I said, smiling proudly as I thought of Hojo's accomplishments. "Besides, the CEO has less freedom to do what they want than the head of A&R. Hojo's perfectly willing, able, and accustomed to the idea of being limited by the position, so long as I'm where I can help him and the family's interests." I said, noticing out of the corner of my eye that Seto was studying me intently.

"But shouldn't your uncle and cousin be protecting you? I mean, after all you're the youngest and the older ones are supposed to protect the younger, right?" Mokuba asked, and I smiled at his comments. It had been a long time since someone outside of the family thought that I needed protecting.

"That may be the case, but I'm also the one who can move easiest outside of view." I said calmly, staring into the fire. "Of the three members of the family, I'm the best at keeping out of sight and laying traps. My uncle and Hojo are the ones who operate in plain sight; I'm the punch you never see coming."

Mokuba thought this over and I bit my lower lip, wondering if I had said too much. Mokuba was young and didn't need to know about the dirtier side of business and life, although I knew he would be getting a crash course in the near future. My conscience still plagued me about actively not working to change the future, but what could I do alone? Seto would never believe me if I told him I knew what was coming, and anyone else would think I was insane. The only ones that could possibly believe me would be Yugi and his friends, but I wasn't about to go out of my way to be friends with them. I can only handle so many "I believe in you" or "friendship" speeches before I want to strangle someone.

We left behind talk of business and I spent the rest of my time with them comfortably; I helped Mokuba with his homework (again, he's a sharp kid and didn't really need it but I think he liked the attention) while Seto continued working, making calls and typing away on his laptop. I wanted to ask him what he was working on, but seeing the focused look on his face I decided against pestering him with questions. It was hard to pick up the flow of working once your concentration had been broken after all.

I stayed and had dinner with them, and Mokuba convinced me to stay until he went to bed. I called Shuichi a little before it was Mokuba's bedtime and he assured me that he would be waiting for me outside within a half hour. I didn't want to intrude on what I'm sure was a family moment, but Mokuba insisted on both Seto and I following into his bedroom to see that he was settled and tucked in. I stayed out of the way as much as possible, feeling that this was a private moment that I shouldn't really be involved in, but Mokuba's cheerful face and obvious happiness eased my misgivings. Once he was changed and had brushed his teeth, he clambered under the covers and sat patiently waiting. Seto caught my eye and gave me a nod, which I took as permission and stepped forward, hugging Mokuba again and giving him a brief kiss on his forehead.

"I'm glad you came today Reila. And I'm glad you're back in Japan; does this mean we'll be seeing you more often?" He asked, stifling a yawn. I think the excitement today wore him out, and I hoped that he would get a good night's sleep easily.

"As often as you'd like, Mokuba. I'll always make time to see you." I said honestly, ruffling his hair a little. "I'll leave my cell number with your brother so that if you ever want to see me you can just call and set up a time. I'll also make sure that your name is left at our gate so if you ever want to come over you won't have any problems." I explained, and that seemed to please him. "Good night Mokuba. Pleasant dreams."

I stepped out into the hallway to give the brothers privacy while they said goodnight. One thing about having any obvious notoriety was that privacy was a rarity, and I felt for sure that I had intruded enough on their time together. Although Seto didn't seem to outwardly mind, and Mokuba didn't seem to care, the moments that they spent together as brothers should be cherished together, without any outsiders.

Seto came out of the room a few moments later, and wordlessly we went back downstairs where Shuichi was waiting to take me home. Gathering my purse and jacket I turned to him, a grateful smile on my face. "Thank you for having me over Seto. I really enjoyed seeing both you and Mokuba today. I know you're a busy man so thanks for taking the time for me to see him again."

Seto studied me, nodding once. "You haven't changed much." I blinked in surprise, because of the three of us I felt that I ran a close second to Seto on how much we'd all changed. I tilted my head to the side, musing over what he meant. Eventually I shrugged and gave him a small smirk. "That's only because you haven't seen that much of me. Small things are still the same, but I'm not the same girl you knew." Seto seemed to accept this, and as I turned to walk out the door I stopped and turned back to him. "I think the one who has changed the most is you Seto. There are times when I still see the boy I knew; but of the three of us I think the years have changed you the most." His brow furrowed, and I gave him a reassuring smile. "The one thing that hasn't changed is your love for your brother. And that's probably the thing I most respect and admire about you. Loyalty is a hard thing to find these days." Pulling one of my business cards from my purse I handed it to him. "I promised Mokuba that I would give you my cell number so he could have it."

Seto took the card and looked it over, seemingly judging it from a business point of view. He made no comment as he pocketed it, so I assumed he approved of the look of the card. "My office received an invitation to a party being hosted at the Sarota estate; what's the occasion?"

"It's simply a way of making our return to Japan noticed by all; both our allies and our enemies. As my cousin so eloquently put it: to say that 'We're back, we're bad, and we'll still kick the asses of anyone who stands in our way'." I said, grinning. "If you and Mokuba will be there I'd be very happy, however if you can't attend I understand." Anything involving Seto had to be handled delicately for the time being; in truth he was always busy, and taking a night to attend a party that I knew he probably wouldn't enjoy was asking a bit more of him than I normally would. However, it would also serve as a way to give the Watanabe's a wakeup call. After all, Arisu and Seto attended the same school, yet they had never once entered into a business agreement or joint project. Honestly that was just poor management on Arisu's side, since having a powerhouse like Kaiba Corp. as an ally was something only an idiot would pass up.

Seto thought about it a minute before nodding. "We'll be there." I didn't question it, but instead gave him a smile and thanked him, hiding my joy at the comment. "Just be sure to wear white; after all it's a white party." I reminded him, stepping outside and down the stairs to my car. I was very pleased with how things had turned out. Not only had I gotten the approval from the board for the use of the school, I'd put Kaiji in his place and been reunited with the first two friends I had made. It had been a fantastic day. Hopefully things kept going smoothly in the future.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hello my lovelies! I'm sorry that I haven't responded to any PM's or reviews, work has been absolutely crazy. We're down two people on two different shifts so everyone's putting in extra hours when they can to help out. Add onto that the fact that my dad is sick and now it looks like I'm sick... This has not been my week LOL.

 **animagirl:** Haha that's exactly what I wanted between the two of them. I wanted Reila and Mokuba to have an affectionate, easy friendship. Reila never had a younger sibling and since Mokuba lost his mother at such a young age, I thought it would be nice for him to have a female role model in his life.

 **Drachegirl14:** Thanks for the review! I didn't realize that I did that with my writing... I suppose it's because that's how my mind works, and I'll try to watch it in the future. Since the story is told mostly from Reila's POV, it might be a little hard to do but I'm always striving to write better so I will seriously try in the future.

I know this chapter is kind of short, and I hope you'll forgive me for it. This chapter is essential to part of the story line later though, so I couldn't just pass over it and get to the main action like I want to. Unfortunately, chapter six is giving me a hard time, so much so that I have to rewrite it entirely T_T But it'll be worth it for the pay off, I hope.

The song referenced in this chapter, " _Ain't About the Money_ " performed by Jussie Smollett and Yazz comes from the show _Empire_. _Empire_ and the songs from the show are property of the **FOX** network and I claim no ownership. And, as always:

 **Disclaimer: I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

Chapter 4

I should have known to keep my damn mouth shut.

After my day spent at the Kaiba estate things had gotten a little – Well really a LOT - hectic. Most people use a party planner to handle the affairs of a corporate function like we were hosting; but I hated leaving things up to someone else. I'm the tiniest bit of a control freak and prefer to do things myself so that I know they're done correctly. So not only was I still trying to snare the mole in the company, but I was also juggling all the party planning and domestic issues that had risen up in the last week. Needless to say, it was a true test of my abilities to get everything running smoothly.

Add onto that the fact that my uncle thought it would be a good idea to have my cousin and I perform a song as a duo, to show that not only can we promote talent but that we ourselves are talented. At first I was against the idea, but Hojo was so eager to perform that I didn't have the heart to keep up the argument against the idea. Hojo rarely asked me for anything and denying him this only little thing seemed cruel to me. Plus the jerk had actually begged me with puppy eyes on at full force and my argument had died out before it could really go anywhere. Thus began the process of choosing a song, practicing and getting a stage area set up. Although we invited some of our better known artists to corporate events, we generally didn't have them perform as they were attending as guests, not entertainment. We had an orchestra and may commission a singer but our artists were not expected to perform.

The problem was choosing the right song. Everything about the song needed to fit the informal theme of the party, so it was crucial that the song make an impact and deliver the right message. The party was two weeks away, and I still hadn't settled on what to perform; nothing I had written recently would do at all. I was sitting on my bed, surrounded by sheet music and practically pulling my hair out in frustration when Hojo came into my room, a magazine in hand.

"I don't know what you did to piss off Royalty, but they've started a slander campaign against us." He said, tossing the magazine onto the bed. There on the cover was a photo that had been taken the day that I had been at Domino City of Kaiji and I talking, and the title promised an "exclusive interview with Arisu Watanabe". I snorted and opened the magazine to the page I needed, scanning it briefly.

"So the best that they can come up with is I'm purposely targeting them to take their artists and that I'm roping Kaiba Corp. into the mix by using him to influence her teachers into giving her bad marks. Oh, and let's not forget her bragging about how much wealthier Royalty Records is." I said, rolling my eyes. "This has to be the most ridiculous thing I've ever read. And I notice that they went to a trashy tabloid magazine instead of a reputable one; no one with half a brain cell believes what they read in these things." I handed the magazine back to him. "As for pissing them off, they probably know that we're watching them closely and this is their idea of trying to strike a blow against us. Amateurs." I frowned as I looked back at the sheet music, because honestly this didn't even register on my "Need to Care" meter.

"Careful Reila, you know as well as I do just how harmful a bad rumor can be." Hojo said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "You work tirelessly to maintain a good public image for our company, I'd hate to see all your hard work thrown down the drain because you're not taking this seriously."

"That's only when there's some basis of truth to the rumor. The most damaging rumors are ones that are half-truths; everything else is just 'he said, she said'. Arisu has no real weight backing her, she's a pretty decoration for the Watanabe family and nothing more." I paused, something clicking into place in my mind. Oh…

 _OH._

That was it; I knew how to get this damn mole out into the open. Plans began forming quickly, and I felt an evil smirk forming on my face. "That's it!" I jumped up, forgetting the sheet music that fluttered to the ground and grabbed my PDA to take notes on. I began pacing, muttering under my breath and finalizing everything in my mind. It would take some careful work, but if everything worked out the way it should this damn mole would be out in the open within the next two months, tops. "Hojo, you're brilliant." I said, stooping and kissing his cheek before grabbing a spare sheet of paper and quickly jotting down the song I had suddenly remembered from my previous life. I'd thought the song was a brilliant anthem against plagiarism back then, and now it was inspiring me in this life and would serve as an even more public anthem.

"Thanks?" He was clearly puzzled but giving me time before he began to question what I was doing. Finishing up a quick rough draft, I shoved the paper at him and let him read it over. His puzzled look melted to a roguish grin, and once he was finished he looked up at me, his eyes glinting with the same delight I was sure was in mine. "So, I take it this song is part of your plan. It's brilliant really, but we haven't actually been able to pin them with plagiarism yet."

"Let me handle pinning them with the charges, cousin. Besides this song is going to sit on the back burner for now. Something in that article caught my attention; Royalty wants to brag about how they have more money than us? We're going to send them a message; it's not about money, it's about the power you wield." I said, another piece in the puzzle falling into place. I was going to be "borrowing" two songs from my world, but I would be sure to compensate the soon to be writers and artists when they became relevant. The one would be easy enough; signing the band that would write and perform the one and giving them access to the song in the future should make up for it. The other was trickier, but I had time to figure out how to make it up to them. Although I knew what songs would be smash hits, I tended to steer away from those and write my own music, but these two songs were too good and fit this situation too well to pass up using them.

I grabbed another sheet and began jotting down lyrics. "The song we're going to perform will send a message in retaliation; the other song will be used once I have all the pieces in place. So for now, let's go to the studio and start on this one. You up for a little hip hop?"

Hojo grinned, letting me know he was more than ready. Living in Los Angeles he'd fallen in love with hip hop, but it didn't really sell well here in Japan. That was alright, we weren't selling this song but showing that we could incorporate popular music types from other countries would also show our talent. Hojo really was a good artist, he had a smooth pleasing voice and his energy whenever he performed was contagious; but everyone knew that becoming an actual recording artist would be out of the question for him. So he took what little opportunities he could to perform, which led others to respect his decisions and to follow his guidance more than they would if he didn't show off his talent now and again.

Hojo looked over my shoulder, and I could practically feel the excitement rolling off him in waves. "Oh that's beautiful Reila. Royalty would have to be thick in the head to not know that we're calling them out with this."

I grinned over my shoulder, standing and motioning for him to follow me to our private recording studio. "That's the idea. They may have started this battle but we're going to win the war."

* * *

The day of the party arrived and I was feeling confident about how the night would play out. Hojo and I had quickly put the song together, the choreography and the dancers had fallen into place easily and when we played the finished product for Uncle Sota he had backed us up all the way. Uncle Sota had full confidence in our abilities, but after so many years around the man I could read the expressions on his face; he had been amazed at the barely veiled attack on Royalty.

Subtlety was an art form, and I was quickly becoming a masterful student in that art.

Although I normally did very little for my appearance, instead letting my natural looks shine through tonight was a big night and I needed to look as impressive as possible. Therefore I was currently subjecting myself to the mercies of a hairstylist, makeup artist, and allowing myself to get a fresh manicure and pedicure. My dress hung by my closet, and I could picture the final outcome in my mind; the dress was a sheathed cocktail dress that would reach mid-thigh, one shouldered with an asymmetrical cutout that was covered in rhinestones, while more rhinestones covered the sheer back down to my waist. It was more glamorous and outgoing than my normal attire, but this was a big night and a "wow" factor would help cement my place in the minds of everyone present. I would be wearing little jewelry and my makeup would be a little more dramatic, but all in all I knew that it would all work together.

Hojo came in, laughing at the sight of my seated at my vanity while the hairstylist and manicurist worked their magic. "Now this is a rare sight; Reila actually putting more than five minutes effort into her appearance!" His teasing was good natured I knew, but it still made me roll my eyes. He had this mindset that a woman should spend at least an hour on her appearance, and although I always looked polished and presentable he always seemed to think I wasn't living up to my potential. Whereas it was simple for him, since his hair was shorter and he mainly wore business suits, with my barely manageable curls, dresses, skirts, and pantsuits it took me a little longer to get ready. Hojo still thought the extra ten minutes I took over him getting ready wasn't enough.

"Hojo, in five minutes I still look better than you do after two hours." My dry comment made the two beauticians laugh, and I grinned at the mock hurt look on Hojo's face. In truth my cousin was an attractive man, or so I'm told. He'd grown up to be tall, with naturally lean muscles that he kept in shape with morning runs and light weight lifting. Since I was in charge of his wardrobe, I made sure that his clothing was stylish and professional, but even his casual looks were more business casual than anything. He turned heads wherever he went, and although he went through girls fairly regularly the breakups were always amicable and never a media fest.

After all we are the Sarota family and we have an image to keep.

Hojo sat on my bed, since it would take him half the time that it would me to get ready. "Tonight we're going to blow them away. That song you wrote is amazing Reila; I think it's one of the best you've ever done. And it's been so long since I've seen you perform that this will be a real treat." He said, practically thrumming with energy. Although he'd grown mellower as he'd grown up, he still had his moments of running around like a crazy man.

"Thank you Hojo. You've done really well with the part I wrote for you; I'm sure that everyone will be singing your praises afterwards." I said, smiling at him. "But don't forget; I don't want to see any girls staying the night here after the party. No hoochies allowed in the home after hours." I said seriously, to which he pouted. Although I'd steadfastly avoided dating at all costs as there were few that could equal me mentally, Hojo liked to play the role of a playboy and was going through his "sow my oats" phase. It didn't bother me, except when I found a strange girl wandering the house after parties or after Hojo had gone to a club for the night. Uncle Sota didn't like it, but he allowed it so long as Hojo didn't have any unplanned children. Or children at all until he was married. An illegitimate heir could be dangerous to a company's CEO.

"I hear you. No girls allowed to stay the night." He said seriously, and I was again thankful that Hojo was so laid back and easygoing. It made things so much simpler in our home life when he was willing to listen to what me and his father asked of him. "I still think I'm going to beat men off you with a stick after they see you in that getup." He said, gesturing my dress on the hanger. "I mean seriously could you have chosen something that doesn't show so much skin?" At my raised eyebrow he sighed. "It's just hard coming to terms with the fact that you're not the little girl who showed up in that cute yellow dress anymore." He said, his eyes becoming a little unfocused as he lost himself in memories.

"Hojo, I can't be a little girl forever." I said gently, reaching out a hand and placing it gently on his. "Someday you'll get married, and I'll get married, and the next thing you know we'll be old and gray talking about how we used to run around without so many aches and pains." My last comment made him chuckle, although I knew what my uncle didn't; marriage terrified Hojo. He'd grown up seeing my uncle never remarry or even date, still too heartbroken over the loss of his wife all those years ago. Hojo and I shared the same fears of loving someone too much, but it was expected of Hojo to marry and produce an heir for the Sarota family. The pressure for me to marry was less since I wasn't in the running for the company, but it was practically a given that I would one day marry someone who would strengthen the Sarota legacy. Hojo and I had only each other to confide our fears to, something that made the bond between us even stronger. He protected me, and I protected him; together we faced the world and guarded each others backs.

"Yeah… Well let's not dwell on sappy things. Tonight we will be the conquering heroes, spreading the news that Sarota Entertainment is a force to be reckoned with. Enemies beware; you have been weighed, measured, and found wanting." I smiled at Hojo's love for injecting movie quotes into conversations but said nothing. He and I both knew how much was riding on our performance tonight and the pressure was a little staggering. But both of us were more than up to the challenge; we both thrived on pushing the envelope and setting ourselves apart as the best o the best. Conceited perhaps, but we tried to remain as humble as those in our positions could be.

"Go on cousin, go get ready. We have just under three hours before our guests start arriving." I said with a gentle smile, and Hojo ducked under the hairstylists brush to kiss my cheek before leaving me in peace with my thoughts.

* * *

Seto sat back against the seat of his limo, arms crossed and eyes closed. In the past few weeks he and Reila had met briefly, mostly when he was picking up Mokuba who made it a habit to visit her at least three times a week. He continued to be impressed with the way that she handled business matters and the way that she presented herself, but he was still leery of calling her a friend again. An acquaintance yes, but friends were something he had little time for.

After initially meeting her again, he had taken a few moments to do some research on her. Although most people praised her for being so dedicated to her family and hardworking, there were rumors that she was the dangerous one of the family. Although nothing could be proved, whispers of Reila being the cause of a big rival in America going bankrupt and losing everything circulated, and those who declared themselves enemies of Sarota Entertainment tended to meet with their dirty laundry being aired from anonymous sources and tips on illegal activities being given to authorities.

If it really was Reila behind these things, he would be doubly impressed. To maintain such a public image but be able to operate in the shadows so effectively was a rare gift indeed. Even if the rumors weren't true, the mere thought that Reila could be so capable of such a carefully constructed mask gave him pause, and had actually made him rethink allowing Mokuba around her. But Mokuba didn't see the questionable side of her, he merely saw what everyone else did; the kind hearted girl that had been in the orphanage with them, the girl who had stopped to give two small boys a word or two of kindness on their first day, the one who had stood up to a boy twice her size and taken a hit that had hurt more than she'd admitted in defense of a little boy she barely knew.

At times Seto saw the girl that Mokuba remembered. She had kept some of her old habits and mannerisms, and although she claimed to not know how to handle kids she was amazingly adept at taking care of Mokuba when Seto wasn't around. Every time Mokuba came home from visiting the Sarota estate he was practically glowing with happiness, and he was full of her praises once again. Reila could do no wrong in his eyes, and the only one whose opinion and approval he wanted more than hers were those of his big brother.

As for himself and Reila, they had fallen into their old companionship whenever they were around each other. Although not acknowledged aloud, both of them knew that Mokuba was the glue that kept the three of them together; without Mokuba in the mix they wouldn't spend as much time together as they did now. He may admire and respect her focus, ambition and intelligence but she was little use to him aside from being an acquaintance and ally. But he was grateful that Mokuba seemed less lonely and happier. That was what had ultimately led him to accept the invitation to this party, although he generally avoided social gatherings of any kind. Given the nature of her family's business she was expected to attend them; he was not.

Mokuba fidgeted beside him, his white tuxedo looking impeccable just as Seto's did. Seto glanced up and saw the Sarota estate glittering with lights and already a line of cars were making their way slowly down the driveway. Paparazzi lined the walkway that led to the house, and Seto inwardly sighed; he hated reporters of any kind, but this was a power play by the Sarota family. And as the genius prodigy of an elite company, his name added onto the guest list made it clear that Sarota was above the competition. He had seen the gleam of satisfaction in her eyes when he told Reila that they would attend, and they both knew what his appearance would do to her main competition; it would make them take notice and put them on the defense. Seto's own reputation would be boosted as well, since the Sarota family was held in such high esteem.

When their car pulled up to the designated drop off area Seto was the first to exit, and as he expected the general commotion his appearance caused was more than the other guests had warranted. Keeping Mokuba close he ignored the reporters calling his name and made a beeline for the front doors, where Sota Sarota stood greeting his guests. Seto had never met the man himself, and although he looked like an average man his presence made those around him take notice. Reila's uncle was a man whom one did not overlook.

When he spotted the Kaiba brothers Sota's face relaxed into an amiable smile and he held his hand out, first shaking Seto's and then Mokuba's. "Mr. Kaiba it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you from my niece. And young Mokuba, it's good to see you again."

"Hi Mr. Sota." Mokuba said, smiling at the man and ignoring the shocked look from others at the informal greeting. Mokuba had met him a few times when he'd been visiting Reila, and he had taken a liking to him. Although a powerful business man, Sota still had a pleasant smile and was relatively easy going. Mokuba had been surprised when the man had readily accepted him as a regular to his home and made sure to keep some of Mokuba's favorite snacks stocked for his visits, which earned him a spot on Mokuba's good list right away. He also went out of his way to ensure that he spent time with his family outside of work, something that Mokuba hoped Seto would eventually pick up on.

"Thank you for coming. I know that these sort of events aren't normally what you enjoy, but Reila was thrilled to hear that you would be attending." His way of speaking was easy and laid back, but still respectful and proper. "Our guests are gathering in the gardens out back, and refreshments are available. If there's anything you need let me our one of our staff know and we'll make sure you're taken care of."

"Where's Reila? I thought she would be greeting guests with you." Mokuba said, frowning a little. It was normally the entire family who greeted their guests to parties such as this, and her absence was a little puzzling. For one member of the family to be absent would raise an eyebrow, but both Reila and her cousin Hojo were nowhere to be seen. Mokuba liked Hojo for the most part, he was open and friendly and seemed to take a lot of joy from driving his cousin crazy, but Mokuba had seen them both smile and laughing enough to know that they had a good, deep friendship between them. Mokuba almost envied them the easy friendship they had and the closeness of the entire family.

"Reila is preparing for her performance." Sota said, and his face too on a mischievous look. "She doesn't normally perform on stage, preferring to handle the backstage affairs but I asked her and my son Hojo to put on a small performance for the entertainment of our guests. As soon as everyone has arrived they'll put on their short show and then I'm sure she'll be thrilled to speak with you both."

Seto raised an eyebrow, but held his tongue. With Royalty Records attacking and slandering the Sarota family at every chance they got, it seemed careless for Reila and her uncle to break what many viewed as standard protocol for a party of this magnitude. Either this performance was worth it or they weren't thinking clearly about the threat Royalty posed. He would have to ask her about it when he saw her.

Making their way to the gardens the brothers mainly kept to themselves, a few associates coming forward to speak to Seto briefly and Mokuba more entertained by the sights around him to bother paying attention to his big brother's brief visitors. Both of them knew that Reila had some musical talent, having heard the caretakers at the orphanage praise her budding piano skills and listening patiently to Reila's ideas on music theory. But they'd actually never heard her sing or play any instrument. Seto looked forward to judging her talent for himself; Mokuba just wanted to see her perform regardless of the amount of talent she possessed.

They didn't have to wait long, since they'd been one of the last guests to arrive. Sota mounted the steps to the small stage that had been erected at the back end of the gardens, and once the light applause had died he smiled.

"Welcome guests, colleagues, and partners to the Sarota family's homecoming party." He paused for the applause that followed before holding his hands up for silence. "Now I know that many of you have been questioning where my son and niece are. But before I bring them out I would like to remind everyone what Sarota Entertainment stands for.

"This company was founded by my grandfather in 1932. At the time we were just a small part of a publishing company, but four years later my grandfather was able to buy out his contract and start fresh under the name Sarota Entertainment. Over the last seventy years we have built, expanded, and worked hard to bring only the highest caliber entertainment and the most talented individuals to our ranks, to help them further their careers and make a name for themselves. My grandfather instilled within the company and our family the ideals that honor, loyalty, and integrity are the foundations to success. And he was right; when my son takes over my position as CEO, we will be one of the few companies who can say that we have four generations of the founding family at the head and leading the company.

"My son Hojo and my niece Reila are that next generation. Hojo is bright, talented, and embodies all that Sarota stands for. Reila is intelligent, talented, and loyal to her family and the business. Their loyalty not only to the company but to each other is inspiring and should give those who would try to bring us down take pause." Murmurs met this last statement, but Sota just kept the same pleasant smile on his face as he looked out over the crowd. "I won't bore you any longer with my speeches; just remember that Sarota stands for honesty, pride, integrity, and loyalty. And now without further delay, I present to you the future of Sarota Entertainment, the two young adults who will take this industry and shake it to its very foundation, Hojo and Reila!"

The lights dimmed and fog began to pour off the stage. Seto watched the performance intently, and knew that Reila was one of the main orchestrators; the song was a not quite subtle rebuke at Royalty's slander campaign. Seto noticed cameras strategically placed to record the performance and wouldn't be surprised if it made one of the entertainment news feeds by the end of the night. Although he himself didn't care much for the style of music, he could appreciate the lyrics and the way that Hojo and Reila worked together to make it clear; Sarota was strongest when they stood united, and nothing could shake these two apart.

" _Blood thicker than the champagne._

 _Power in my pride, power in my last name._

 _Said if I don't know nothing I know this paper._

 _Bigger than the world stepping over skyscrapers."_

Mokuba watched the performance with wide eyes, seeing Reila how others saw her for the first time. Although he knew that was his friend on the stage, he always received warm smiles and tender affection from her. The Reila on the stage was awe-inspiring, confident and ready to go to war in the blink of an eye. The way she moved and sang made it apparent that she was not someone to be taken lightly because she had the talent to make it big, and her cousin's part made it clear that he had every intention of taking the title "King of Music" for his own. The two of them working together, singing together and showing a united front made him wonder who would be crazy enough to take on Sarota Entertainment.

" _Ooo, we making moves_

 _You only doing what my power lets you do._

 _You see that money isn't everybody's thing_

 _When it come to power can only be one king!"_

Mokuba looked up to his brother to judge his reaction, but Seto's gaze was focused intently on Reila while giving nothing away. She did look stunning as always, with her wild curls loose around her face, her makeup darkened but not gaudy, and her dress displaying her figure nicely. But more than her appearance was the sheer determination on her face that made everyone take notice. She was showing everyone the true power of Sarota Entertainment; the family that ran it and who would be taken down by no one. Her words were also a challenge to any and all enemies, that they should think twice before attempting to overtake her family.

"Come on Mokuba." Seto said, leading his brother to the backstage area once the performance was over. Mokuba wanted to congratulate Reila, and he would rather they not be surrounded by a mob. Seto wanted to put his mind at ease; after that performance, he'd come to realize that Reila was hiding her true colors from even him. If she was capable of manipulating those around her to any degree, he had to be sure that she wasn't a threat to his brother, his company, or himself.

* * *

The performance went off without a hitch. The backup dancers were thanked heartily by myself and Hojo and sent off for the night, the stagehands rushing out to discreetly take away the few props and machines we had used, and while Hojo made his way to the gathering group who wanted to see and congratulate us, I made my way to the technicians who had been recording the performance.

"Sound came out beautifully Ms. Sarota, and we already have editors working on the video. We'll be able to send it out to whatever television shows you wish within the hour."

I nodded and handed over a list of the entertainment news shows I wanted the video to be distributed to. These shows were the ones that I knew would make it clear we were still number one and that would play the song fairly regularly. Once that was done I went to play hostess but was stopped short by Seto and Mokuba approaching. Smiling at the two I made my way over, Mokuba immediately latching onto me for a hug.

"Wow Reila, that was amazing! I didn't know you could sing like that!" He looked up with wide eyes full of admiration and I felt a small blush spread on my cheeks. Although I could perform and my voice was fairly good, I didn't do it often. As I've said, I'm one who likes to stick to the sidelines where I can work more freely.

"Thank you Mokuba." I said simply, stooping and fixing his bow tie. "Between the three of us I was against performing at first."

"Why change your mind?" Seto asked, and I finished with Mokuba's accessory before I stood and fixed my eyes on Seto.

"Royalty declared war. This was an answer to their declaration." I said simply, shrugging. "Besides, Hojo likes performing. If it makes him happy and keeps him from whining then I'll do it. Just not on a permanent basis." I said, leading the two back to where the main party was.

"I was wondering why you would open yourself to rumors of being a bad hostess." Seto said, and I nodded in agreement. The risk of being called a bad hostess in my own home was minimal now, because I'd more than made up for it with wowing and entertaining the crowd. Keeping people entertained was a fundamental part of throwing a successful party, and from what I could hear of the praises that people were throwing around the gamble had paid off. People would be talking about this party for months to come.

The stage had now been cleared from the mini concert and the jazz band we had hired took their place, and soon the bulk of the floor was covered with dancing couples. A cold buffet had been set up, with specialty dishes for those who had allergies and particular tastes had been opened, and people began mingling and milling about. I mostly stuck near either my uncle or Seto, but as one of the stars of the night my presence on the dance floor was requested often. Many requests I couldn't and wouldn't refuse, for they were trusted colleagues, potential business partners or others of notoriety that refusing would reflect badly on me.

During one of these dances I seriously began to regret the attention I'd drawn to myself. Sarota Entertainment was working with a new advertising firm, Sarikawa Advertising, and the third son of the owner had apparently taken it into his head that I was attracted to him. Fuji Sarikawa was not someone whom I would ever give a second glance to, and his treatment of me so far had sunk him even lower in my opinion. His hand kept creeping steadily lower on my back, and he kept bragging about his many "accomplishments". I desperately wanted to say something, but given the newness of our business partnership with them and not wanting to insult his father I was between a rock and a hard place.

"… And you know that our fathers are talking about our business relationships going… Further than we had originally planned." I stilled for a split second at that comment. Was this boy seriously insinuating that my uncle would condone me marrying someone so beneath me? Although Uncle Sota and I had never really talked about it in depth, it was an unspoken understanding that any potential marriage would need to be approved by him as head of the family, and there was no way he would be alright with me marrying this idiot. Fixing my gaze on him I stopped dancing and dropped his hand, barely keeping the disgust off my face.

"First off, if you're going to spout nonsense to me at least make it believable. My _uncle_ would never have me marry a third son of such a newly established firm, let alone someone who can't even get his facts straight. Secondly, your treatment of me so far has led me to believe that you don't understand that I have more sway in this industry than you do, and you insult my intelligence by hinting that such talks between your father and my uncle have taken place. Know this; there is almost nothing that my uncle discusses with others that I don't know about beforehand. Thirdly, if you want to grope someone you'll need to find a new dance partner because I am not a trophy for you to place your paws all over." Throughout my little speech his face had steadily grown redder, and many other dancing partners had stopped to see what was going on. Whispers began running around about what was happening, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Hojo and my uncle both began to move forward with displeased looks on their faces. But their looks were directed to Fuji, not to myself thankfully. Before either of them could reach me, a different savior appeared.

"Reila, the next song is starting. And you owe me a dance." Seto stepped to my side and in a smooth movement had pulled me away from Fuji, and then we were dancing away from the disgraced boy. It came as a mild shock that Seto danced so well, but given that he was a genius it shouldn't have surprised me at all. Without sparing another look behind me I focused on Seto, feeling the tension drain out of my shoulders and I offered him a thankful smile.

"You are officially my hero of the night Seto." I said quietly, low enough so that no one else heard me. "And this is much better than me walking off and leaving him alone."

"Belittling an unarmed opponent is a waste of time." Seto said simply, leading me through the dance effortlessly. We both remained quiet for a moment, lost in our own thoughts. I was mostly worried that I had damaged the relationship between ourselves and the Sarikawa firm, but during one of our sweeps of the dance floor I spied Fuji's father whispering fervently, trying to keep his composure in front of so many people, but making it quite clear to those who saw that he was furious at his son.

"That may be true, but for someone like him to dare insinuate that my uncle would propose a relationship between me and him… It's appalling that he would even entertain such an idea." I said, grimacing.

"Already planning your wedding?" Seto asked, and something about his tone made me raise an eyebrow.

"Not at all. My first priority will always be my family; it would take quite the man to shake me out of my comfort zone and agree to a steady relationship, let alone marriage." I said simply, not dwelling too much on it. "Besides I'm not even eighteen yet. Marriage is a long way in the future, and although I plan ahead it seems pointless when there are so many variables that could change the playing field."

Seto seemed to accept this answer and again we lapsed into silence before his questions broke it again. "What are your plans for the retaliation that Royalty will be launching?"

"I have a few plans, don't worry. For all their bark Royalty is surprisingly tame, and when push comes to shove Sarota will always have the upper hand." I said, not wnting to reveal too much of my plan. Too many things could go wrong if anyone knew what I was planning.

"You mean you will." I responded to Seto's statement with a coy smile and again he seemed to accept this as answer enough.

It felt as though he was continually testing me, pushing certain buttons to get a response out of me. But to what purpose I couldn't begin to understand. "Why the round of twenty-one questions Seto?" I finally asked, deciding to stop beating around the bush.

"I need to know if you're a threat or not." He said bluntly, and I almost smiled at the idea of my being a threat to him. "There are rumors that of your family, you're the most dangerous. Seeing as I allow my little brother to be in your presence so much, I need to know if you're trying to use him or not."

If anyone else had made such a comment I would have been deeply offended. Well, maybe I would have; a part of me would have been flattered by the insinuation as well to be honest. But since this was a man who valued very little above his brother and company, I could understand his caution. Mokuba was the chink in Seto's armor, and any threats to his little brother needed to be removed right away.

"I suppose I can understand your concerns. However know this Seto; aside from my family, there are only two people that I value and trust above others and that is you and your brother. I meant what I said all those years ago. You two really are the only real friends I've ever had, and although I have my uncle and cousin now, you and Mokuba are the only other people that I would willingly go to war for." He studied me intently, and I went on without thinking about what I was saying. "Maybe the rumors are true and I am the devious, conniving girl they all whisper that I am. Even if they are, I vow to you that I would never use Mokuba to try and undermine you or your company. Mokuba is far too precious to me to use in such a way, and I will do everything in my power to keep him safe and out of the hands of those who would use him." I studied Seto's face, but he'd mastered the art of keeping his emotions off of his face long ago, probably when he'd been under his step-father's control. I kept my eyes trained on his, not to intimidate but to show my resolve. "You will always have an ally with me and my company. I know you're fully capable of handling things yourself, and I don't doubt your intelligence or power. But if ever you need anything of me, just call and I will answer."

Seto said nothing, but there was the tiniest hint of warmth and respect in his gaze. I returned the look with a small smile of my own as the song finished and we left the dance floor. I felt as though I'd gained a level in his respect for me, but there was a shadow on my mind; in the near future he would face Yugi, and then the true trials would begin. Seto would be tested and tried again and again, and there was little I could do to help. I was still adamant in not wanting to be a central part of the events that would unfold, however I was beginning to wonder how much of it I could avoid. My conscience screamed at me to keep Mokuba and Seto out of harm's way, but the logical part of me knew that I had to let certain things happen, things that went against my desire to shield them both. Seto was too entangled in the main part of the upcoming story, and would bring Mokuba with him. Seto would never accept the truth of what I knew, and I wouldn't have told him anyway. Things must play out as they were meant to, and I could only hope that my friends would be alright.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Hello everyone! Thanks so much for sticking with this story so far. It means a lot to have so many people enjoying the story. And of course a special thanks to **Drachegirl14** and **UniCryin** for reviewing. You guys are awesome!

As always, please feel free to PM me with questions, I love hearing from my readers and enjoy talking with each of you about the story, without giving too much away of course.

Also, just a quick note that I have created a playlist on YouTube filled with songs that have inspired this story so far or that will be featured in the story. If you go to YouTube, just search for "Monachopsis Inspiration" and it will pop up. Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Two weeks later I was still on a high from the success of the party. The performance that had been taped was still referenced to and clips were still shown on various media sources, and there had been a surprising number of people who were rallying and petitioning for both Hojo and I to release albums. Although in interviews I had made it clear that this was not something that would happen, there were still those who hoped for it. Royalty hadn't answered our call, but then again I hadn't expected them to. Their slander campaign was dead in the water, and all they could do now was sit like fish in a barrel while I finalized my plans to take them out. Phases One and Two had already been put into effect, and I'd gotten help from a trusted computer expert to track and monitor the necessary files on our company's computer network. All I needed was for the mole to find them, give them to one of the Watanabe brothers and then I could move onto the final phase. Things were going well, and I was feeling on top of the world as I sat on a lounge chair in the garden, basking in the late autumn warmth. Uncle Sota and Hojo had gone on a quick trip to go over some figures with the American branch, and with Yumi's video being released tomorrow there was little for me to do. I had every intention of relaxing and taking a breather until the next big project.

That is, until my phone rang. The minute I heard it chime I had a sickening sense of dread, but I picked it up and saw Mokuba's picture flashing on the screen and smiled. Maybe it was just my imagination getting the best of me, and I shook off my negative feelings before I accepted the call. "Hey Mokuba, what's up?" I asked casually, leaning back in the chair again.

"Reila, you should come over to Kaiba Corp. right away if you're not busy. Seto is dueling in his new custom built arena and I think he'd really like it if you came to see. Seto went all out in designing it, and the virtual projections it makes are amazing!" I froze for a moment, completely dumbfounded. I mean I knew that the plot was coming, but if this was the duel I was thinking it was, then that means we'd run headfirst into the plot line and the true story had begun.

We'd passed the point of no return.

Collecting my thoughts I smiled before I spoke, so that my voice wasn't so grave. "I'd love to see your brother dueling Mokuba; I'll head over right away." Hanging up the phone I made my way quickly to the front door, paging Shuichi as I went. Glancing down at my clothes I debated for two seconds about changing into something a little more professional but decided against it. Since I'd been home I'd been wearing jeans and a large cream sweater, but a few tugs and tucks made it look like it was dressier than it really was. Sliding on a pair of shoes and grabbing my purse I stepped outside, Shuichi already there to take me to Kaiba Corp.

On the way I did my best to remain calm; but if this was the duel with Solomon Moto and Yugi, then today was a bad day for the Kaiba brothers. Although Seto hadn't been unnecessarily harsh with me, I'd seen the darkness that hardened him and hid the boy that I'd once known. And in the past two weeks it had only grown worse as the five remaining executives from Gozaburo's regime made it clear they were unhappy with their situations, so much so that Seto suspected them of plotting against him. Although he'd never said anything to me about it, Mokuba had voiced his fears to me and I'm perceptive enough to pick up on the subtle notes of tension that Seto carries. Part of his behavior could be explained away as residual effects from the psychological abuse Gozaburo Kaiba had inflicted on him yes, but it was ultimately Seto himself who had allowed the darkness to settle and fester. But really, could anyone blame him? Seto had been through hell with that man as his step-father and had only his little brother to help him. Some people wouldn't understand his not relying more on Mokuba, but I think I do; when you're the elder sibling you're held to a higher standard and socially it's unacceptable for an older sibling to place such a heavy burden on their younger sibling. The older one is supposed to be the rock, the guiding light, the one with all the answers; this was especially true for Seto, since their parents had passed on. He was truly the head of the family and expected to be strong enough to take whatever the world threw at him. With no one to turn to, no one to help and guide him he had done what he thought was right, and Gozaburo's teachings had skewed his perception of right and wrong.

But if this was truly the day he was to face Yugi for the first time, then by this time tomorrow he would be free of that darkness. The spirit of the ancient pharaoh that dwelled within the Millennium Puzzle would banish the darkness out of Seto's heart, but it would leave Seto weakened and vulnerable. Having lived for so long with only this one mindset it would be a difficult journey for him to regain his confidence and return to who he was meant to be. And this one duel would ultimately create a domino effect that would drag Mokuba, Seto, and the rest into one ancient power struggle after another. Which led me to the question that continued to plague me; could it be stopped with my intervention? And if it could be, should it be?

Sighing I stepped out of the car once we arrived, feeling a headache forming from my serious thoughts. Once I was out of the car I really took in my surroundings and saw an ambulance with two kids from Domino City High stepping in. I watched it go with a heavy heart; in that ambulance was Solomon Moto, and although I knew he would eventually be alright it still hurt to know that Seto was the one who placed him in this state. I turned away and made my way into the building, spotting Mokuba right away and felt my stomach flip at how brightly he was smiling. I love Mokuba's smile, but seeing it right after seeing an elderly man being rushed to the hospital… It made me want to cry for Mokuba's lack of understanding and lack of guidance. Seto was a brilliant business man and duelist, but he'd failed to teach his brother proper morals, although it pained me to say it.

"Reila! I'm glad you're here. Seto's first duel is finished, and the guy's grandson just challenged him and they're just starting. I know that you don't play Duel Monsters but I'll be able to explain the rules to you. You'll love this arena though, Seto used all state of the art hologram simulators to bring the cards to life! I guess it was too much for that old man to handle and – Reila, what's wrong?"

Mokuba had noticed that I'd quit walking and had fixed him with an incredulous look; did he honestly think so little of the welfare of other people? I might be just as ruthless on business related matters as Seto but this… This was personal. This was a question of human decency, and as much as it pained me to admit it Mokuba was sliding down the same path his brother was currently set on; of having no care for the well being of others outside of his family. We may be corporate giants and there is a dark pleasure in leaving our enemies crippled in a mental and capital way, but to be so blasé about the physical well being of someone older and frailer than yourself… I felt my mouth tug down into a frown and stepped forward to Mokuba, whose eyes shone with confusion at the displeasure on my face.

"Mokuba Kaiba, I'm disappointed in you." The shock and hurt on his face damn near broke my heart, but my resolve remained. Normally I would never interfere in their personal lives to this extent, but obviously Seto alone wasn't a good enough influence on Mokuba; he needed someone to help him see the light, not the dark path his brother was going down. "There is an elderly man on his way to the hospital who could be seriously hurt, and you're acting as though it's no big deal. That man just received a huge shock from something your brother did to him and you're acting as though you could care less. You're a good kid Mokuba, and to see you act so callously… I thought you were better than that."

Mokuba flushed with embarrassment and looked away. "Well the old guy started it, because he has this really rare card that Seto really wanted but wouldn't give it up…"

I arched an eyebrow at his weak defense. "If that's the case then why did the old man come here? He already turned your brother down, what was the point in him being here?" Mokuba fidgeted nervously and I shook my head. Of course I'd already known about Seto forcing Solomon into being here, but Mokuba was making it too easy. I'd seen him spin tales and speak half-truths with no problem in the past, but when it came to his brother and apparently me… He couldn't lie worth a damn. "So your brother had him brought here. Your brother, one of the most intelligent men that I know risked subjecting himself to a media bombshell by coercing a man to come here, duel him for possession of this rare card, and said man is now on his way to the hospital." I shook my head, hugging myself as I felt a chill run down my spine. I'd seen the darkness that sometimes resided in Seto's eyes, but knowing what he was doing was so much different than saying it out loud; saying it out loud made it seem so much worse. "Mokuba, what is your brother doing? These aren't the actions of an honorable man, they're the actions of a bully."

Mokuba's eyes narrowed as he immediately defended his brother. "Seto's not a bully! I don't get what's so important that the old guy couldn't part with the card. Whatever sentimental reason he has isn't good enough to withhold something so rare and valuable!"

I stared in shock at the anger I heard in his voice. Turning his eyes to me, I barely kept from flinching at how dark his eyes were; whatever darkness resided in Seto's heart was taking root in Mokuba's as well. Stepping forward I took his face gently into my hands. "Mokuba, do you hear yourself? Sentiment isn't a good enough reason to hold onto something? Mokuba, sentiment and emotional ties are what make us human. And to demean someone's devotion to whomever gave them something precious and being angry at them for wanting to keep it and treasure it is disgraceful. If you truly feel that way, then hand over that locket." I said, nodding to the card shaped locket he wore.

Mokuba's eyes widened. "No! Seto gave this to me and…" He trailed off, seemingly lost in thought before he bowed his head. "Seto gave it to me and it's precious." He finished, although the fire was gone from his voice, and I knew that he was beginning to see my point.

Placing a finger under his chin I tilted his face gently so I could study his eyes. "Yes, it is precious. Not because of what it's worth or how valuable it is, but because to you there's nothing else that can take the place of something that your brother gave you. That's what makes it so precious to you, and anyone who would try to take it from you is scum." I stood up, allowing my words to sink in. "Do you know that I still have the figurines that my father gave me? They're just little trinkets bought while he was away on business trips, and they're not particularly worth anything… But to me they are priceless. Not because of the rarity or worth, but because my father gave them to me and I honor him by keeping them and treasuring them." I looked down the hallway, practically feeling the darkness flowing in waves from where Seto was. "I don't know what's going on with your brother; these actions are so unlike anything I've seen from him. But I do know that as much as I admire and respect him, I don't condone this type of behavior. I'll go with you and watch the duel because I am a friends with you both but I want to make it clear that this thuggery is something I consider beneath both Seto and you."

Mokuba remained silent, thinking over what I had said. His eyes were brighter and clearer than they had been, but they had a disenchanted look to them. A small part of me felt bad for being so blunt, but it was something that he needed to hear. He tried shake himself out of his mood a little and led me down the hallways to Seto's dueling arena, and I gave him time to absorb what I had said. I could see that he was second guessing himself, and although part of me wanted to hold him and shield him from the reality that his brother was doing wrong, the realistic side of me knew that he needed to learn that even if you love someone, you don't have to approve of everything they do. I had complete faith in Mokuba's ability to do so, and it was a necessary lesson that he needed to learn.

We entered the arena just as Yugi was summoning his Winged Dragon Guardian of the Fortress, and I almost turned and bolted. That hologram was too real, too intense; if I could barely stand it, it was no wonder Solomon had taken it so hard. I could see the heat haze coming off the creature's skin, particularly around the mouth, could see the tiny shifts in its wings to keep it aloft; it was like looking at a real monster, and it was terrifying. What terrified me even more was the thought of what the truly frightening monsters would look like, since Guardian of the Fortress wasn't really that scary looking. Now something like Exodia, or even Obelisk the Tormentor… I swallowed thickly, wondering if I could ever come to terms with the thought of virtual projections being nightmare fuel.

Thanks Seto, I guess I don't need sleep anytime soon.

Setting my fear aside, I did have to admit that the sheer scope and depth of such a project. Seto must have devoted a lot of time and energy into the project, and it showed from the amount of detail. The logistics of getting such realism down for every card in existence was mind boggling, and drove home again the fact that Seto was a genius and should not be taken lightly. Taking a small step forward, I felt Mokuba take my hand tightly, and from the corner of my eye I saw a small grin on his face from my reaction. I scowled at him, which only caused him to laugh before turning my attention to Seto. I barely kept the gasp from escaping my lips; I'd never seen him look so… So…

Evil.

Because that's really the only word I could think of to describe the way he looked. He looked ruthless, heartless, and completely without remorse as he stared down the dragon across the field. His Hitotsu-Me Giant was impressive and imposing, but when Yugi called out the attack the light produced from the fireball sent caused me to duck my head, and Mokuba ran out to the edge of the field, obviously worried as his brother watched his life points go down. I was a little slower to join Mokuba, still eyeing Yugi's dragon warily. I recognized Joey Wheeler from across the playing field cheering Yugi on but ignored him, and looking up I locked eyes with Seto, who allowed the briefest moment of confusion to cross his face at my being here. But then the hardness returned to his eyes and he went back to the duel, ignoring both me and Mokuba as he fully concentrated on the game.

And he just had to summon a clown. I scowled at the monster, hugging my arms close to my chest. Clowns are creepy little shits and I'm not the biggest fan of them.

Mokuba kept talking to me throughout the match, telling me the rules and what was happening. I gave him half of my attention, and the other half was spent in trying to figure out what exactly would happen once the duel was done. I knew that the pharaoh would banish the darkness in Seto's heart to the Shadow Realm, but the time frame between this duel and the start of Duelist Kingdom wasn't exactly clear. How long would Seto wait before leaving to clear his thoughts, therefore leaving Mokuba in the lion's den that Seto himself had created at Kaiba Corp.? And could I really save Mokuba from what was to come? Maybe if I talked to Seto before he left, convinced him to leave Mokuba with me and my uncle-

My thoughts broke off as Seto summoned his first Blue Eyes White Dragon. If Yugi's dragon had been impressive… No, compared to this monster Yugi's dragon was nothing. Although the sheer size and the powerful aura given off were more intense than any of the previous monsters summoned, I found myself leaning forward in amazement. Its piercing roar seemed to crash over me, and I flinched at the volume but couldn't take my eyes off the creature. My eyes traced the shape of its wings and claws, both admiring and fearing them. The silvery white color of its body shone brilliantly, and the piercing blue eyes had the same gleam that Seto's held whenever he was working. The similarities between the two were uncanny, and I vaguely remembered that Seto, or more specifically his soul had a deep connection with this card but I couldn't remember what it was.

Glancing up at Seto I saw him gauging my reaction to his monster as it attacked Yugi's, and I thought I saw a smug smile on his face. I kept my face neutral, but his smugness was not helping my mood. I was already upset that I hadn't done more to try and get rid of the darkness in Seto's heart myself, and having seen the seeds of that darkness attempting to take root in Mokuba tonight, plus struggling to understand that this person I called my friend was capable of putting an elderly man in the hospital over a freaking trading card… It was almost too much for me to handle. My conscience was already weighing heavily on me and the weight of everything bearing down on my shoulders felt like the weight of the world. My hands tightened on the railing I was holding until my knuckles were white when I returned my attention to the field as Seto summoned his second and third Blue Eyes.

I took a deep breath, trying to expel the heavy thoughts from my head but it was like the very air was charged with something I couldn't explain. Breathing was difficult, and the more cards that were payed the harder it was for me to breathe. Although I was doing a pretty good job of covering it up, I knew that this was not a normal reaction to a duel; I felt light headed and ready to pass out, but managed to keep myself upright and conscious while Yugi summoned Exodia, The Forbidden One. I closed my eyes tightly, feeling the intensity of the monster's aura and almost losing my battle to stay conscious as Yugi ordered Exodia to attack. Seto's cry of disbelief was barely audible over the sounds of the attack, and only when the virtual simulators had powered down was I able to breathe freely again.

"This can't be! My brother never loses..." Mokuba said, staring at the board above the stadium that showed clearly how Seto had lost.

Glancing down at Mokuba, I started to explain that some things were meant to be but stopped as we both turned to Seto, who had fallen to his knees while staring blankly ahead of him. I glanced across the field to the one I knew was the pharaoh from the Millennium Puzzle, who was slowly lowering his hand. It was done; the darkness in Seto's heart had been sent to the Shadow Realm. I let out a small sigh of relief; partly because I knew that it would help him in the long run, and partly because a small part of me had worried that my being here would cause things to work out differently and therefore do more harm than good. Turning to Mokuba who was still gaping in disbelief I nudged him. "Let's get your brother home, Mokuba. This… It looks like losing the match really shook him up." I decided not to tell Mokuba the truth or anything even close to it. That sort of talk was best left for a later date.

As we turned to leave the arena, I glanced to where Yugi/Pharaoh was standing and gave him a small, grateful smile. He was clearly confused by the gesture, but gave me a small smile in return and nodded in acknowledgment. Before Mokuba or Joey could question what was going on, I hurried out and followed Mokuba up the stairs to where Seto was just emerging from the stadium, a lost and unfocused look on his face.

* * *

He had lost.

Not only had he lost, he'd lost to a complete nobody, someone without standing in the world of duel monsters. An upstart had taken his title of undefeated World Champion away from him, and had done so in a way that he would have never thought possible; he'd summoned Exodia, The Forbidden One.

He didn't know where he found the strength to step out of the arena and into the hallway; his body didn't feel right, like something had been ripped out of him. He felt raw and exposed, there was too much light around him and he just wanted to sit quietly somewhere cool and dark and regroup his thoughts, plan a way to take back his title, and deal with the burden of defeat in his own way. It was bad enough to be defeated, but there had been witnesses including his own brother. Not to mention Reila, who had been blatantly impressed by everything he'd accomplished so far. How could he face either of them now, now that he was no longer at the top?

Hearing footsteps he looked up and found himself face to face with Reila, and almost flinched from what he saw in her onyx gaze; he'd been expecting loathing and disgust. Those things he could manage and handle. But the quiet concern and worry wasn't something he felt he could handle right now, not when his thoughts were so scattered and his head felt foggy. He'd rather see the admiration and respect that he was used to seeing in her eyes, like when she'd seen his house or when she'd been gazing at the product of his tireless work on his holograms and the detail that had gone into it. As a genius herself Reila could recognize the effort that he'd put into it, and that esteem that she normally viewed him with was missing now. And it was because he lost.

Reila studied him carefully before turning to Mokuba, whose face was a mask of concern. Although Seto still saw the admiration and love in his little brother's eyes, it was overshadowed by the concern and seeing his brother so worried almost caused him physical pain. He never wanted his brother to worry about him, not when he was the rock that Mokuba relied on so much. He was all that stood between his brother and the world, and he'd be dead before he allowed anything to happen to Mokuba. Turning his gaze to Reila, Mokuba nodded to her quiet remark and left, disappearing around a corner and leaving him with Reila who approached him slowly.

"Seto…" She started to say, but couldn't seem to finish her thought as she reached up and tugged on a curl. It was a nervous habit of hers and seeing her nervous around him gave him pause; after all, why would she be nervous? He couldn't understand why she was acting the way she was, and part of him wanted to be angry but he couldn't seem to muster the energy. He stared at her blankly before she sighed and held out her hand.

"Come on Seto, we need to get you home. Get a good night's sleep and you'll feel better."

He blinked slowly, wondering how in the hell sleep was going to help him. Granted he did feel drained, but how could he sleep? He needed to start planning, start scheming to get his title back… Reila gently took his hand and tugged gently, pulling him along. Seto's eyes focused on how easily she held his hand, like when they had been kids and Mokuba had insisted on playing all sorts of games that involved holding hands. It almost looked natural for her hand to be tucked into his, and he never noticed just how small her hands were compared to his. She'd always been petite and small, even now the top of her head barely met his shoulder. But he'd never really noticed because her personality and the way she carried herself made her seem larger, more profound. He'd never really taken the time to study her features before, more concerned with her personality and her thoughts than anything. But focusing on her features seemed to help ease the blow of defeat that throbbed through him like a physical pain.

Her eyes were larger than he'd previously thought, giving her a false impression of innocence. Her hair was rich and thick, curling in an almost wild way that suited her well; it was unpredictable, just like she was. Her figure was a tad on the lush side, not skin and bones like so many women today. He'd almost always seen her in dresses and skirts, but even in faded jeans and an overly large sweater she was pleasing to look at. One shoulder was exposed from the way she wore her sweater, and his eyes traced the graceful curve of her neck, his thoughts coming more and more into focus with every passing minute. When she turned to him and offered him an encouraging smile, he noticed that her lips were full and plump, but the lower one was definitely plumper giving her a pouty appearance. She'd forgone makeup again, but she very rarely wore any and it was something he appreciated about her; she only ever showed her true colors to him and Mokuba, never a mask or façade. She was genuine and it was… Pleasing to have someone who didn't feel the need to put on airs around him.

Glancing up he saw that Reila had led him to the side entrance, where Mokuba and her driver were waiting outside. "I thought you'd prefer the side entrance tonight; less people to bother you." She explained quietly, her voice soothing his wounded pride a little. He knew that he couldn't be seen by other people right now; he had an image to maintain and he could see his reflection in the windows that they'd passed, the lost confused look on his face. He briefly wondered how Reila could be so perceptive, but she knew as well as he did what images meant in the world they inhabited. Still holding his hand she led him to the car, where her driver stood waiting stoically. Reila let Mokuba get in first before she gestured for Seto to enter the car, but he paused and gave her driver a sideways glance; how could he trust this man to keep his silence and not broadcast to the world that Kaiba Corp. was weakened?

"Seto." Reila's quiet voice drew his attention and he turned his head to look at her. Placing her hand on his arm she gently tugged towards the open car door. "I trust Shuichi with my life. He won't do anything to cause you, Mokuba, or your company harm." Glancing again at her driver, he noticed that the man had never once moved while Reila spoke, except for the slight softening around his eyes and mouth; Reila's praise meant a lot to him. Making the difficult decision to trust Reila, he slowly entered the car, Mokuba on one side of him and Reila sliding into the seat on Seto's other side. Both held one of his hands in theirs, giving him their own form of comfort and support but not saying anything aloud. The drive to the Kaiba house was silent, except for the light strains of classical music coming from the speakers, which Seto was sure was normal since Reila hated complete silence.

With Seto lost in his own thoughts the drive to the house seemed to take no time at all. When they arrived Reila spoke quietly again with Mokuba, and the lack of consulting with himself began to irritate him. Mokuba exited the car quickly and before Seto could open his mouth Reila turned to him. "Normally I would bring all my questions to you, but I want to take as much off your shoulders as I can tonight. You don't need to worry about your reputation or image tonight; you need to rest and clear your mind. Mokuba's a smart kid, and he can handle this little bit to help you. I know you both trust your staff, but the less people know how out of sorts you are right now the better." Seto couldn't argue with her logic, and the fight died out of him quickly. Merely nodding he followed Reila out of the car and followed her into the house, her hand tucked into his once again.

* * *

Seto was honestly scaring me by this point. Yes I'd gotten used to reading his expressions (what little there was to read that is) but I'd never seen him so… Lost. So unresponsive. When he looked like he was going to snap at me in the car I found that I was happy about it and wanted him to snap at me. It would at least be something, a step in the right direction. But the fire had died out almost as swiftly as it came into his eyes and I kept my disappointment hidden. Mokuba had been beyond helpful, getting the staff out of sight and letting me have no prying eyes while I led Seto to his bedroom. Stepping inside I didn't give myself time to admire the area; being in a guy's bedroom was already nerve wracking, let alone that it was the bedroom of Seto Kaiba. This was another reason why I wanted the staff out of the way and not poking around; rumors can spread in an instant, and the last thing either of us needed was rumors of me and Seto being romantically involved.

Getting Seto to sit on the edge of his bed, I turned to Mokuba. "I'm going down to the kitchen to get your brother some tea. Seto, I want you to get changed into pajamas and get into bed; Mokuba, take his phone and laptop and put them away for the night. Work can wait until he can think with a clear head." Mokuba nodded and set to work gathering everything and I went back downstairs to the kitchens, beginning my hunt for everything needed for tea.

"Excuse me, miss?" I about jumped out of my skin at the voice suddenly coming from my right and turned my head quickly, wincing as my neck gave a loud crack in response to the sudden movement. The woman beside me was a plump woman who looked to be in her fifties, with her graying hair tied back neatly into a bun and a kind look in her brown eyes. "I apologize, I didn't mean to startle you. I'm Mr. Kaiba's chef, Mrs. Fujikawa. Is there anything I can do to be of help?"

"I was just looking for the tea things." I explained, unsure of how far I could trust the woman. I didn't doubt that Seto would scrutinize a potential employee's background and character as thoroughly as I do, but there was still the factor of the unknown as I'd never met the woman. Mrs. Fujikawa nodded and directed me to sit, bustling around the kitchen and beginning to pull out everything needed. "Do you by chance have anything with chamomile in it?" I asked, studying the way she worked. She was efficient and quick, and gave me a charming grin as she pulled open a cabinet, revealing a large assortment of teas.

"You're young Ms. Sarota, correct? Mokuba speaks very highly of you." Mrs. Fujikawa said, arranging the tea tray while waiting for the water to boil. "I don't mean to pry, but will Mr. Kaiba be alright? Some of us are very worried about him."

"Seto will be fine." I said quietly, knowing that eventually he would be. "He's just having an off day. Nothing to be concerned about."

"Very good ma'am." Was the only reply I got, and watching her expression closely I had to commend Seto on his choice of staff. If they were all as competent as this lady, he had an outstanding staff. "I will just say this: It's good to see Mr. Kaiba and Mr. Mokuba with someone who cares about them, and not their standing or business. For that, this old lady is grateful. Those two have been through enough and seeing them actually enjoy someone's company is refreshing."

I thought over her words a little as I waited for the tea to finish, thinking over my situation versus their own. Seto had been forced to grow up quickly, and had spent most of his life shielding Mokuba from the worst of every situation they'd been involved in. I'd had the option to grow up a little slower, but my advanced mental age made it impossible for me to enjoy idleness like that. While I had my cousin, uncle, and staff who loved and supported me, Seto and Mokuba had each other only. It was far lonelier than I had originally thought, and my admiration for Seto's strength increased the more I thought about it. Yes, he had taken a blow tonight but he would overcome it… Eventually.

The real problem was in the very near future Seto would go through an identity crisis. Without the darkness that he was so used to relying on within him, he would be lost and unsure of himself. He would leave his company and Mokuba vulnerable since he didn't know how to deal with this new development. I doubted there was much I could do to help Seto, but I might be able to help Mokuba. If I could keep him out of Pegasus's clutches, then I could keep them both safe and their souls wouldn't be taken by that cartoon loving megalomaniac. I couldn't remember any concrete reason why the brothers needed to be there, and from what I remembered the story line could progress just fine without their direct involvement in the Duelist Kingdom arc.

Once the tea was done Mrs. Fujikawa helped me arrange everything onto a tray. "One more thing ma'am; don't be worried about any malicious rumors starting. I'll be sure to squash any jabbering jaws right away. I can see you're here only to help and I would hate to your reputation tarnished for helping your friends." Thanking her warmly I took the tray carefully up the stairs, knocking gently on Seto's bedroom door before entering. Mokuba had placed his briefcase away from the bed and Seto had changed into pajamas, sitting on the bed and gazing out the window. Mokuba had changed too and sat watching his brother, worried but doing his best not to show it. Placing the tray on the bedside table I turned to them both, smiling at the scene. If it wasn't for Seto being so out of it, this would be heartwarming to see. "Mokuba, are you ready for bed?"

"Yeah, I'm ready. I just wanted to say goodnight to you and Seto before I went to bed." Nodding in understanding I kissed his forehead and wished him a good night before turning to make a cup of tea for Seto, giving them some privacy to say what they wished. Once Mokuba was on his way to bed, I dimmed Seto's bedroom lights and placed a cup of chamomile tea in Seto's hand. "I know you're not normally a tea drinker, but please just drink one cup for me. It will help you relax so you can get back to work in the morning."

* * *

Seto glanced from the cup in his hands to Reila's calm face and felt his anger spike again. "Stop treating me like an invalid. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself." He said, resolutely placing the cup back on the tray and turning away from her.

He heard the slow intake of breath from the girl beside him and glanced her way, seeing her close her eyes and take a minute to gather her thoughts before she opened them, and he almost flinched from the determination he saw in them. "Seto, I've never once thought you incapable of taking care of yourself. I'm only here trying to help you and get you to realize that you're not alone in this. That's what friends do; they help each other as much as they can and support one another."

"Since when have we been friends? If not for Mokuba you and I wouldn't speak at all. What game are you playing Reila? What do you hope to gain from being around me?" Seto spoke the words before he even knew what he was saying. He was hurting, his pride had taken a severe beating and she had been there to witness his fall from glory. Why couldn't she just say that he was weak and needed to do better? Why wasn't she pushing him, hounding him to do better? He'd always been pushed to the limits of everything he'd done and she was acting like it was alright to not be the best. Why couldn't she understand?

Reila's eyes narrowed. "If that's how you really feel then fine; I'll leave. But know this, Mr. Kaiba; I walk out that door and that's it. I'll never speak ill of you, but I won't offer my friendship anymore either." He saw the way her hands curled loosely into fists and he briefly wondered if she would hit him, even though he'd never known her to be a violent person. A small part of him wanted her anger, her ire. It was easier to deal with than her soothing words and calming presence.

"If you were really a friend, you would get out of here and leave me be. Why can't you get it; I _lost_ , to a complete _nobody_. I've built my company and reputation around being the top ranked duelist in the world, second only to the game's creator. Once words of this gets out my reputation, my company, it will all be under attack and the sharks will come barreling at me once they catch even a hint of weakness. Everything I've worked for is in the balance and you're acting like it's nothing!"

Reila was quiet for a moment before she shook her head slowly. "You think I don't know all this Seto? You honestly think that I'm not intelligent enough to put the pieces together?" Seto stared into her eyes, seeing the proverbial fire spark in them. "I understand completely what this loss means. What I'm trying to show you is that to **me** , this loss doesn't make you weaker. All I want is for you to be at the top of your game tomorrow when you go into work and show them that you're still a genius who can overcome anything." Seto ground his teeth in frustration, but before he could say anything more Reila sat down beside him and placed a finger to his lips briefly, silencing him. "Seto, I'm not Gozaburo; I'm not going to put you down for not being the best. Remember, I know very little about Duel Monsters, and from what I saw you were beaten by a stroke of luck, nothing more. Your monsters were impressive and your strategy was sound to my eyes. Mokuba explained that it's almost impossible to summon the creature like that kid did. So yes, you lost, but not because you're weak; it was a fluke. Right now, and tomorrow, and the day after you'll still be a duelist of the highest caliber and the top of the gaming industry. Your brother still adores you and practically worships the ground you walk on. One loss won't change how either Mokuba or I feel about you, and if you're looking for someone to give you a verbal smack-down you're looking to the wrong people because we're not here just because you're the best; we're here because we care about you."

Seto could only stare once she was done. Had he subconsciously been seeking someone to berate him like his step-father had? Thinking it over it made sense; he'd grown so used to being pushed and pushed to be the best, and every failure in the past had been met with harsh punishment. It was all he had known once he'd gotten Gozaburo to adopt him and Mokuba. He'd dismissed Reila as not understanding this because she'd had a cheerful, supportive upbringing but he could see in her onyx eyes that she did understand. He just hadn't given her the credit she rightfully deserved, had thought her less observant than she was. He'd never told her what Gozaburo was like, but she was perceptive enough to pick up on things without a full explanation. Looking away he felt her place the cup back into his hand. This time Seto drank it quietly without any resistance, and found that it was soothing and helped him relax.

Once he was finished Reila sat the cup back onto the tray and the two sat quietly, Seto thinking over her words and she lost in her own thoughts. "Reila… Why are you my friend?" Seto finally asked, puzzling over her words.

Reila thought for a moment before she answered. "I think the first time I thought about being a friend to you was the very first day we met, do you remember? You and Mokuba were standing out in front of the orphanage, and although Mokuba was crying you were doing your best to remain strong for him, and I really admired that you could remain calm for his sake. And then when you rushed to your brother's side when Toshiro was being a punk… I'll admit, I was envious you two had each other." Seto blinked in surprise as Reila drew her knees up, wrapping her arms around them. "But more than my envy, I admired your determination and the loyalty you've always shown. I think it's also because you understand what no one else can; you know what it's like to have to prove yourself all the time, to be worthy of everyone's praise. I know how lonely it can be, and how exhausting. I just wanted you to know that you don't always have to prove yourself to me; I know what you're capable of, and I know that you'll come out on top again in no time." He pondered her words for a moment, and found that he understood; she didn't show it, but the push to be the best was on her too. Her uncle might be kinder about it but she was still expected to go above and beyond what was normally acceptable because she was a genius and because she had been raised outside the family business. She understood his situation on a level that not even Mokuba could, and this common ground as well as their affection for Mokuba were what she based their friendship on; he could accept that.

They sat quietly for a moment, listening to the wind rustle the tree leaves outside his window. It seemed to him at least that both of them were showing a vulnerability that they normally kept hidden from view; he'd never shown just how deeply Gozaburo's treatment had influenced him, and Reila only ever showed a courageous, confident front to the world. This was new territory for Seto, allowing someone in without there being any ulterior motives but… He found that he trusted Reila, for the moment. Reaching out a hand, he placed it on Reila's shoulder as she turned to study his face. "I guess we just had our first fight." Reila said, trying to lighten the mood with humor.

Seto gave her a half smile in return and blinked slowly, the events of the day and the tea finally catching up to him. Seeing him starting to drift off Reila stood. "I'll head home now. Just… Just remember that you're not alone Seto. If you need anything, I'll be there to help in any way that I can." She started to take a step to the door but seemed to become lost in thought for a moment. Turning suddenly, she bent down and placed a kiss gently on his cheek, leaving him dumbfounded just as she had the first time she'd done it so many years ago.

"Sleep well, Seto." And with that she turned and practically ran out the door, but Seto could see the slightest hint of a blush on her face as she sped out of his room, leaving him puzzled by her actions yet again. Would he ever be able to truly understand her motives?

* * *

"I'm. A. Moron."

I kept repeating that same sentence to myself the entirety of the week following Seto's duel with Yugi. Thinking back on what had transpired in Seto's bedroom, it took all my willpower not to turn beet red. What was I thinking, kissing his cheek like that?! The first time it had been an impulse to satisfy my inner fangirl and it had paid off with me getting to see a surprised look on his face. But this time… I don't know what brought the thought into my head. I suppose I had just wanted to reaffirm that I was his friend, but was it honestly the best way? We haven't spoken since that night, which part of me is grateful for. It's going to be hard enough to look him in the face without giving away that I'm embarrassed by my actions, but on the other hand the longer I go without seeing him the more awkward I'm going to feel when we do finally see each other.

I sighed, almost banging my head on the keys of the piano I was sitting at. I was supposed to be working on a new musical score but my mind for once was not focused like it normally was. The anticipation of waiting for the other proverbial shoe to drop was eating away at me, as I knew that it was just a matter of time before the Duelist Kingdom tournament started. Pegasus wasn't going to wait forever, and already news of the stock prices for Kaiba Corp. dropping had spread and it was now common knowledge that Seto had been beaten in a duel. Mokuba and I kept up with brief texts and emails, but Seto had remained silent and I didn't want to pester him. I'd only sent him a one lined message to which he'd never responded; just one line, "We're here because we care."

Plunking on the keys, I let my mind drift as I mused over the future. I was still trying to come up with a plan to keep Mokuba out of Pegasus's clutches, which was proving more difficult than I had anticipated. I wouldn't need to shield him as long as Seto was still around, but not knowing when he would be leaving made it hard to plan anything. Add onto it the current waiting game I was playing with the mole in our company and I was a high strung wreck. Even my uncle and Hojo had picked up on my nervous behavior, but they couldn't know what was going on. My uncle did his best to soothe my nerves, and Hojo tried his best to keep my spirits up but sitting and waiting wasn't my style. Until I can finally get to work on _something_ their efforts were in vain, and I hated causing them grief.

Leaving the piano behind I walked slowly down the halls, seeking something to distract me. With no major charity functions in the near future, and no new contracts to negotiate I was idle and antsy. Normally I enjoyed my downtime, using it to catch up on reading or work on my music but nothing was holding my interest long enough to really allow me to enjoy it. Although I'd purposely planned for there not to be anything important that required my attention for the next month, I was beginning to regret it. I worked best in a fast paced environment, always busy and juggling thirty things at once; a trait I'd picked up from my uncle. We both lived to be busy, and my multi-tasking skills were second only to my uncle and Seto. That thought brought back the whole bedroom incident and I bit my lip to keep from blushing like crazy again. Seriously, what the hell had I been thinking?!

Taking a deep breath I started to head outside to the gardens when my phone went off, and seeing Mokuba's number I answered quickly. "Hey Mokuba, what's up?"

"Reila, you've got to get here quick. Seto just left and… I don't know what to do. He's been acting weird ever since his duel with that Yugi kid but… I never thought he'd just leave." Hearing the frustration and hurt in Mokuba's voice made my throat tighten. Today was the day that Pegasus was meeting with those five idiots that Seto had kept around from Gozaburo's administration, for whatever reason. I personally would have gotten rid of them ages ago, but it was Seto's choice on who sat on the board of his company. Still, it didn't make sense to allow them to continue working there; it was like inviting foxes to burrow in a chicken coop.

Thankfully, times like this can throw my mind into action better than anything. "Mokuba, are you sure that your brother is really leaving? No, I believe you… Listen, your brother has a lot of enemies out there and I don't feel right leaving you alone. Why don't you come stay here with us until your brother gets back? Then you won't be alone and I'll feel better knowing you're somewhere safe."

Mokuba thought it over for a moment before agreeing, to which I gave a small sigh of relief. "Good. Where are you? Alright, I'll come pick you up at the company building. Just don't go anywhere without me, alright? See you in a few Mokuba." Hanging up the phone I called Shuichi right away, who was in front of the house in less than five minutes. I briefly thought about changing out of the skirt and heels I was wearing but decided against it; Shuichi would help if anything went down. Jumping into the car I looked out the window impatiently as Shuichi drove towards Kaiba Corp. Part of me wanted to tell him to step on it, but I couldn't rightfully ask him to break the speed limit without a valid reason. Shuichi was a good man and I would hate to drag him into the middle of everything.

Although I wasn't sure what my presence there would do or what taking Mokuba out of Pegasus's reach could lead to, I wasn't about to let Pegasus toy with my friends without a fight. Pegasus might be powerful, but if I could shield Mokuba behind the weight of my family's influence then I wasn't going to hesitate to do it. My hands clenched into fists as my resolve strengthened even more. Seto was grown and could defend himself of that I was sure, but Mokuba was too young to be left out in the open. Yes, he was brilliant and practically a genius like his brother, but his child's body and lack of real life experience conspired against him and made him more vulnerable than he was willing to admit.

When I arrived at Kaiba Corp. I told Shuichi to wait outside while I went and got Mokuba; but the minute I stepped into the lobby I felt that something was wrong and hesitated before going any further. It was practically deserted, the receptionists had left and the place was eerily quiet. I'd only been to Seto's company building once to witness the duel that started everything, but even then there hadn't been such a sinister aura in the air. Glancing around I almost turned back to bring Shuichi in with me when I heard a commotion from the hallway leading to the rear exit. Remembering that today was the day Pegasus would take Mokuba, I didn't hesitate as I bolted down the hallway, seeing Kemo, a man I recognized as working for Pegasus and two other men walking to the doors. Mokuba was struggling valiantly in Kemo's arms, but the man was just too large for Mokuba to be able to escape his grasp.

"Mokuba!" I ran after them without thinking, and although Mokuba called out for me to run I didn't listen; I could feel the adrenaline shooting through my veins, taste the bitter taste of it on my tongue and couldn't have stopped even if I wanted to. One of the creeps grabbed me, and while I struggled the three of them had a brief conversation that I didn't hear over the sounds of my struggle against the one holding me. Mokuba screamed my name just as a potent smelling cloth was placed over both my face and I saw one placed on Mokuba's face as well before my vision blurred and I lost the fight to stay conscious. The last thought I had was that I really should have brought Shuichi in with me into the building after all.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Hello all and welcome to chapter 6 of _Monachopsis_. To be honest this chapter gave me more trouble than any have so far. Mainly due to the fact that it's hard to write when Reila isn't in the thick of the action. But I prevailed, and already have a great start on chapter 7. Hopefully things should be easier to write from now on, now that I've got the ball rolling in the Duelist Kingdom arc.

A special thanks to my bestie and long time writing companion **Sereni the Undead**. You're an amazing person and I absolutely adore you!

Also a shout out to **animagirl** and **Drachegirl14** for reviewing. Thanks so much!

I claim no ownership over the song _Rocket Man_ featured in this chapter. _Rocket Man_ was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin.

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

* * *

Chapter 6

In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have tried to take on three men twice my size. I have no defensive training, no fighting ability to speak of, and didn't have any weapons on me when I blindly charged after them. But seeing a friend slung over someone's shoulder like a sack of potatoes tends to make one overreact. There are many rules that I live by, and a big one is that you should act instead of react; by this it's meant that you should act logically to a situation, not fly off the handle without thinking it through and inadvertently make the situation worse.

Well, I made it worse for myself and who knows how much worse I've made it on Mokuba.

Three days ago to find myself in a stone room, high up in a tower and violently ill; the poor maids had to be called in six times before my stomach had finally settled. It took me the better part of a day to get over the side effects of being knocked out with chloroform, and throughout the first night had been running a pretty high fever. I vaguely remembered a maid being called in to watch over me that first night I was here, and she had done what any normal, non-medical person would do with someone running a fever – that is to say, she kept a cool rag on my head, coaxed me into drinking fluids, and checked my fever regularly. I recall that at one point she had been alarmed that my fever was so high and not going down quickly enough. I remember in my chemistry lesson my tutor saying that about 10% of the population was allergic to chloroform, and the most common symptom was a high level fever; which poses a rather dangerous threat, for if a fever runs too high for too long it can cause serious damage. Thankfully, the fever burned out sometime in the night, but this meant the girl hadn't been able to come back to my room since then. The only person I had seen during my captivity so far was Croquet, Pegasus's right hand man, and then it was just to bring me food and pick up the empty plates.

From what I could see out of the window I gathered that I'd been brought to the island where Duelist Kingdom was to be held, and completely at the mercy of one Maximillian Pegasus. As if that wasn't enough to irk me, all my planning and scheming had been for naught. Pegasus was too clever to allow Mokuba and I to be near each other or have any communication, so I wasn't even sure what was happening or what had already happened. I had no way of judging whether Mokuba was safe, had already escaped in his attempt to confront Yugi... No information whatsoever. I knew better than to try and get Croquet to talk, the man was steadfastly loyal to Pegasus to an almost sickening level. Although I had the loyalty of my staff, if I did something as questionable as kidnapping, those who worked for me would never stand idly by. It made me wonder if Pegasus had some dirt on his right hand man, or if Croquet held some sort of infatuation with the CEO of Industrial Illusions.

That was a sickening thought.

Sighing I stood and paced, doing my best to ignore my current state and predicament. I was still in the clothes that I'd been taken in, and between the sweat from the fever, my being so ill, and the lack of a shower I felt and looked like a grimy mess. Croquet had seemed to have a rather smug look on his face when he had been here this morning to give me my morning meal, and I would bet money that he was laughing at a powerful debutante being reduced to my current state.

Bastard.

I tried not to dwell on it and instead tried to devise a plan to escape, warn Seto to stay away and use other means to get Mokuba free. Now that I was in the thick of the story line, it was as if my memories were becoming clearer and I remembered that Pegasus planned to take over Kaiba Corp. in some attempt to resurrect his deceased wife; again, in my opinion this proves that there is an inherit danger to loving someone too much. Because Kaiba Corp. could only be controlled by family, the plan was to off Seto and use Mokuba's name to control Kaiba Corp., something that would be made easier with Pegasus in possession of the Millennium Eye. With it, he could easily banish Mokuba's soul and use his body as a marionette, doing whatever he wished. I vaguely recalled the attempt on Seto's life wouldn't work, and instead Seto would overcome and make his way here to free Mokuba and protect his company. But when he went to face Pegasus in a duel, Pegasus would use his Millennium Item and read Seto's mind, seeing through his strategy and taking possession of his soul after Seto's defeat.

Wait...

I stopped pacing and swore softly under my breath. _The Millennium Eye made it possible for Pegasus to read minds._ This was bad, very bad. I had no means of protecting myself from that kind of power, and I hadn't taken the abilities of the Millennium Items into account in any of my plans for the future. How in the name of all things holy could I even hope to protect not only myself, but my friends from the danger of those stupid jewelry pieces? I began pacing again, trying to remember the details of what powers the Millennium Items possessed, but I could only remember what the Eye did and that the pharaoh's soul was house in the Puzzle. Maybe... Maybe my memories would only become clear when I was present for the actual canon story line? If that was the case, then that would mean that some unseen force was controlling the flow of my memories. That thought pissed me off; if what I suspected was true, how dare they toy with me like that! I am not a puppet to be used, by deities, higher powers or anything of the sort. Taking a deep breath I tried to calm myself since getting worked up over something without proof was pointless, not to mention a waste of energy and time. Although I had noticed things affected me in a way they didn't other people, I had no evidence to support any theories and so tried to work around them as best I could.

Case in point, during the duel between Yugi and Seto that I had witnessed, it was almost as though the very air had become charged with some sort of force which made breathing difficult for me. I had felt a weight pressing on my shoulders and chest, and it had only increased as the duel had continued. Each monster summoned increased the pressure and the feeling that something wasn't right, but it hadn't seemed to have bothered anyone else. Glancing out the window, a shudder of apprehension went through me; was it like this with all duels? If that was the case then the last place I needed to be was in the middle of a friggin tournament. Again the thought of fleeing the same way Mokuba would crossed my mind, but I knew better than to try and escape. I was still too weakened by my sickness, even three days later. I was larger than Mokuba and weighed a bit more, meaning that making a sheet rope long enough and strong enough would be almost impossible. Not to mention the fact that I was in stilettos and a pencil skirt; not exactly the best clothing to attempt an escape in.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of fireworks and I hurried to the window, looking out. My window faced the eastern side of the island, and I was able to see a few people from the window although I knew none of them could see me. Pegasus's voice carried up to my open window as he welcomed everyone to his tournament and explained the importance of the star chips, causing me to snort. Only Pegasus could come up with something this complex and make it seem like the greatest thing since sliced bread. I might hate the man as a general rule, but even I had to admit he was charismatic and an excellent business man.

I still wanted to punch him in his face though.

Once the noises had faded I began my pacing anew, knowing that within the next twenty-four hours Mokuba would make his escape attempt and run into Yugi. He wanted to face Yugi in a battle... Ah that's right. Pegasus needs to defeat Yugi before the Big 5 will allow him to take control of Kaiba Corp., because Seto's defeat had tarnished the company's image. Mokuba's plan to defeat Yugi early and force him out of the tournament would ultimately fail, but I couldn't blame Mokuba for trying. Honestly, it was a brilliant idea; defeat Yugi, get revenge for his brother's defeat, and protect the company all in one stroke. People might underestimate Mokuba a lot because of his age and the fact that he does in truth have a big heart, but my little friend could be just as vicious and cut throat as Seto or I can be. He too had suffered under years of Gozaburo's tyranny, and it made him grow up faster than a child should have to. But it also gave him valuable insight to how to think, plan, and thrive in the world he now found himself in.

I only wished I could be there to help him. I suppose it's selfish of me to want to keep Mokuba out of the thick of everything, but I wanted to protect what was left of the childhood innocence in him as long as I could. Seto was too jaded by the things he'd lived through, and I was jaded from the combination of two lives worth of knowledge in my mind; but Mokuba's eyes still held some of that childhood wonder and amazement. I would do whatever I could to protect it and keep that twinkle of innocence in his eyes for as long as I could.

But that brought back my current dilemma, that I was trapped and unable to help. Knowing that I was right in the the middle of everything happening but unable to help filled me with anger and I could feel my temper rising at the thought of Mokuba, Seto, and yes even the others being put in such danger over one man's selfishness. Although I might understand Pegasus's motivation on a base level, I'd never been able to grasp the concept of endangering countless lives for selfish gain. I might be a tad selfish and nothing would stand in my way of getting what I want, but I never gambled with people's lives. Having been murdered once, I had respect for the lives of others. Taking away their wealth and power was one thing, taking their souls and in effect their lives and free will was something else entirely.

Sighing I stopped pacing and sat on the bed, drawing my knees up to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. These thoughts were maddening, but more than that... The silence. My fear and anxiety were making my long standing hatred of silence worse, and to keep myself from tipping over into sheer panic mode I began humming and singing softly to myself, anything to keep the silence at bay. Ever since my rebirth, absolute silence drove me to the brink of insanity; it reminded me too much of the cold, empty space I'd been in after my death. My mother hadn't understood it but accepted it, and even Hojo and my uncle found it a quaint quirk of mine. Even now, years later it haunted me, to the point where I slept with light music playing and even in the dead of summer I couldn't sleep unless I was cocooned in a thick, warm blanket. Cold, silence, loneliness... Those were my worst fears. Fears I never revealed to anyone, and would never reveal if I could help it. To show a weakness invited others to exploit it, and so I kept my fears hidden, never to be talked of with others.

I needed to free myself from this room, to find out what exactly Pegasus had planned. Taking Mokuba and trying to harm Seto I understood worked with the original story line, but I was a new factor and his motivation for taking me was unknown. He couldn't possibly think that my family would stand by while I was missing, and since I wasn't in line for inheriting Sarota Entertainment, using me to gain more power didn't make sense. Not only that, but an entertainment company would have no plausible resources to help in bringing back his dead wife. So what was his reasoning behind taking me as well? To silence me because I had seen his men taking Mokuba? That didn't make sense, as Pegasus employed hundreds with Industrial Illusions, and I hadn't recognized any of the three men who had been taking Mokuba as working for Pegasus; I had known who they worked for only thanks to my knowledge of what was to come. He could have ordered his men to leave me in the Kaiba Corp. building and I wouldn't have been able to do a thing about it.

So why risk taking me? What possible gain could he get from having me here as well as Mokuba? Although it was known that I was friends with them both, was Pegasus planning on using me as a threat against the brothers? If that was his was of thinking he was in for a rude awakening. Although I know Mokuba holds my friendship in high regards, I know Seto won't let it come between him and his company; I have no illusions about this, nor do I think that I'm more valuable to him than Kaiba Corp. He would never endanger all his hard work for me, and I honestly would think less of him if he did. As someone who values hard work and motivation it makes perfect sense to not let anything, even a budding friendship like ours get in the way of securing his company. Besides, I'm tough and can get myself out of this scrape... Somehow.

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

"Be quiet, I don't believe in that 'heart of the cards' stuff you keep preaching about." Mokuba said to Yugi, safely hidden behind his disguise. When he'd woken up and found that he was locked high in the tower of Pegasus's castle, he'd been furious. The last thing he remembered was being dragged out of his brother's corporate building, and seeing Reila rush head first into danger to try and protect him. After hearing what Pegasus and the five board members of Kaiba Corp. had planned, his first thought was to get to Reila's as fast as possible; she'd do anything to help him and Seto, and her home was the safest place to be. But one of Pegasus's guards had found him and that idea had gone out the window.

Instead, not only had he been taken hostage but he was pretty sure Reila was being held by Pegasus as well. But if Mokuba could knock Yugi out of the competition before the tournament went on any longer, not only could he get revenge for his older brother but he'd also stop Pegasus's plans in their tracks. If Pegasus couldn't face Yugi in a duel, he couldn't beat him and that meant the board members wouldn't let Pegasus take control. So he'd slipped out of the window (well, more like toppled out but no one would ever know of his embarrassingly graceless fall) and set off to find and defeat Yugi. Although Seto was the stronger duelist, Mokuba had confidence that he could defeat him. Vengeance was his, and not only was he dueling for his brother's honor but also to protect his family. Once Yugi was taken care of, Mokuba would find way to get in touch with his brother who would come get him and Reila off this island and away from Pegasus. Simple, but effective. "Cards have nothing to do with heart, it's all about power."

"Yes, I can see it now; I sensed a connection to Kaiba. You're his brother, you're Mokuba." Yugi blurted out, and Mokuba felt a flash of fear. How could he have known?

"How did you know? Well, it doesn't matter." Mokuba said, tugging his bandanna back around his neck and tossing off the hat he'd been using to hide his hair. The proverbial cat was out of the bag, but this was better anyway; at least now Yugi would know who he was dealing with and what crimes he was answering for. Whatever Yugi did to him during their duel, Seto's confidence in himself had vanished, and none of this would have happened if that duel had never taken place. Try as he and Reila both had, Seto claimed that he no longer knew who he was after he'd been beaten by Yugi. Before Mokuba had even realized what he was saying, the entire story was spewing out of him like word vomit. Maybe a part of him wanted Yugi to acknowledge that he had done something to make his brother different, but as he kept talking Mokuba suspected that a larger part of him wanted Yugi to feel guilty and use that guilt to cloud his judgment when it came to dueling. Anything that he could use to get the edge on the duelist who had defeated his brother was something he could use.

But as Yugi defeated yet another of the monsters he summoned, Mokuba began to suspect that by using the deck of another duelist that he'd seriously handicapped himself. Each deck was constructed by the duelist themselves to play to their strengths, and this deck wasn't easy for him to use. The strategy that went into building the deck eluded him and made it close to impossible for him to even touch Yugi's life points.

"Battling me won't bring your brother back, and we want to stop Pegasus as much as you do; he's taken my grandfather prisoner." Yugi said, fixing a determined gaze on Mokuba. Mokuba hesitated just a minute too long, wondering just how many people the Industrial Illusions CEO had hidden away in his castle. But none of that mattered, the only things that mattered were to protect Seto and rescue Reila. While the lone girl of the group (Mokuba thought he remembered her name being Tea) distracted the others by finally putting the pieces of the story together, Mokuba moved quickly to Yugi's side of the field, swiping some of his star chips; since he didn't see the possibility of defeating him in an honest duel, Mokuba would do whatever it took to keep his brother and company safe. He'd almost made it to the woods when Yugi's voice rang out, and something in the tone of his voice made Mokuba pause; it was a commanding, ancient tone, but not cruel.

"Your brother is just confused. After I defeated Kaiba in our duel I opened his mind. I removed from him all the dark influences that clouded his thoughts and actions. Free of that evil essence, Kaiba is struggling." Yugi said, his eyes locked with Mokuba's. Reila had something very similar once, during a quick phone conversation he'd had with her not even a week ago.

" _ _Mokuba, we need to give your brother time. I know you're worried about him and so am I, but this is something that he has to do on his own. We can be here to support him, but I think Seto has been shown that perhaps he's been using his genius and the weight of his company for the wrong things. I hope that he can see that his actions in harming that older man were wrong, and that he can move on from this with a clearer head.__ " Those had been Reila's exact words, and to hear them coming from Yugi as well... Had his brother really been influenced be darkness?

Yugi continued, as if sensing that Mokuba was questioning his own motives. "Now your brother realizes that his way wasn't the right way, and he's searching his heart for answers. And you know in your heart what you're doing isn't the right way, either!"

Mokuba turned to fully face Yugi, knowing that he was right; cheating, stealing, lying... Those weren't the actions of a Kaiba. Kaiba's didn't steal and they didn't cheat, they did what they needed to do to protect the company and their family. How could he ever face his brother and Reila again, knowing he'd cheated, lied, and stolen? Seto and Reila were all he had in the world, and seeing them angry or disappointed in him would shatter his heart. No, it wasn't the right thing to do but what choice did he have? How could he protect the company and save Reila without any help? A prodigy he might be but dammit he was just a kid, and without his brother here to help he was practically helpless. The truth of that thought hurt, but it was something he had to face. "But then... What can I do? How else am I supposed to protect Kaiba Corp. and rescue Reila?" Mokuba hadn't even realized that he'd said the last part aloud; he wasn't sure what if anything mentioning Reila would help.

"Reila? You mean Pegasus has Reila Sarota captive too?" Tea stepped forward with wide eyes. Mokuba hesitated before nodding sullenly. "Right after Seto left, I called Reila because I didn't know what to do. She was on her way to get me so I could stay at her house with her family when I overheard the meeting between Pegasus and the board members. When Reila got to the Kaiba Corp. building, she came looking for me and saw me being taken away. When she tried to save me from Pegasus's men, they drugged her and I'm pretty sure they brought her with us. I don't know where Pegasus is holding her but I won't let anything happen to her!"

The blonde friend of Yugi's looked thoughtful. "Hey, now that ya mention it I think I remember seeing dat girl in the arena when Yugi dueled Kaiba. She didn't say nothing the entire time though, just stood there and watched."

"That makes sense; it's pretty well known that Reila, Mokuba and Kaiba are all friends. They're seen together a lot, so maybe Pegasus took her to use as leverage against Kaiba?" Tristan said, rubbing his jaw in thought. Mokuba didn't say anything, but it made sense. Seto might not openly admit it, but he had a comradeship with Reila just like Mokuba did, and he valued her as a peer since she was one of the few who could match him intellectually.

"Mokuba, you can start by trusting in me. I promise you, we can only defeat Pegasus if we stick together. We'll help you protect your brother and rescue Reila, but you've got to help us, okay? You've got to go back and return those cards and star chips to the kid you stole them from." Yugi said, a small smile on his face and a deep, unfathomable trust in his eyes. Mokuba had seen that look once before, when Reila had helped him see how wrong he was to disregard Yugi's grandfather's health after his duel with Seto.

Mokuba hesitated for just a moment, hoping that his brother would forgive him for teaming up with Yugi. "Let's do it."

* * *

" _ _And I think it's gonna be a long, long time__

 _ _Till touchdown brings me 'round again to find__

 _ _I'm not the man they think I am at home,__

 _ _Oh no no no.__

 _ _I'm a rocket man~__ _"_

So yeah, here I am in a freaking castle, still locked in a tower room and singing Elton John. I think I've officially hit the low point of my second life. In my defense, there was nothing else for me to do. No books to read, no ways of escaping, no ways to do anything but stare at the wall and lose my mind. Besides, Elton John is an amazingly talented man. And since I knew faking an illness wouldn't work in bringing anyone, that left singing to myself to pass the time. Thankfully whatever weird feeling had been happening when I witnessed Seto and Yugi duel only affected me when I was right there for a duel; no light-headed feelings or shortness of breath ever since the tournament kicked off, and I knew that there had to have been multiple duels since then.

Sighing I scanned the forest beneath the tower window, hoping to spot someone walking around; I'd even gladly welcome the sight of Joey at this point. Granted, I hadn't had any interaction with him to actually warrant my annoyance with him, but even in the my previous I had only a grudging respect for his character. I do have to say this, the guy is loyal to a fault when it comes to his loved ones and although I can admire that trait his general boisterous attitude rubbed me the wrong way. Hojo could be loud, but never to the extent that Joey Wheeler was. Plus I didn't want to get sucked into the whole "friendship is magical" club.

Never been a fan of Care Bears of My Little Pony, thanks.

Besides, if Joey had somehow walked within my line of sight that would mean that Yugi was close by. And where Yugi went, the spirit of the puzzle went too. Although at this point the pharaoh wouldn't have any information I could use, and I wasn't sure if I should reveal that I knew of the spirit who dwelt within the puzzle. It would bring up too many questions that I didn't feel comfortable answering, and wasn't sure I should anyway. Wasn't one of the main focal points of the show that the pharaoh was supposed to unlock the secrets of his past on his own? Besides I could barely recall the pharaoh's life in ancient times, let alone remember his name. I know there was an "A" in there somewhere...

The most worrying thought and the one that I had no answer for was what to do if Pegasus asked to speak with me. It would take ever bit of my acting skills to keep him from thinking that I had any knowledge of what was going to happen; maybe if I didn't give him a reason to, he wouldn't use his Millennium Eye on me. After all, what could he possibly gain by showing it to me? For all he knew I was like Seto and didn't believe in magic, and then he would just be showing me a weird golden eye. But on the other hand... What if he planned to take my soul? To use my body as his personal marionette?

That was a terrifying thought.

I'd already had my soul tampered with once, thank you very much. When instead of going to paradise or whatever after life there is, I was instead born here. I would not, repeat **not** let my soul be tampered with again if I could help it. But I had no magic, no abilities to use against the powers of the Millennium Items. So how could I possibly protect myself, if not the others when it came down to it? That thought set me pacing again as I created a mental list of possibilities, slowly crossing them off one by one. I despised going into a battle unprepared, but with little resources but my wits and knowledge I was grossly outmatched. If Pegasus got his hands on the knowledge that I possessed, then all of us were doomed and I refused to be the key to the downfall of everyone. Although I had a lot of mental discipline, I doubted that I could do the old "build a mental fortress" cliched technique in time. Yugi had at one point had his friend's willpower shield him, but I didn't have the luxury of being able to call upon people like that, not without lengthy explanations and questions that I didn't want to answer.

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on my door and Croquet entered, his customary smirk on his face. "Master Pegasus wishes for you to join him for lunch. Follow me, and don't think of escaping; there's nowhere for you to run."

Fixing him with a haughty stare, I gestured to my clothes. "I refuse to be presented as anyone's so called 'guest' while I'm in this state. Tell Pegasus that I demand a change of clothing and a shower before I even begin to think about sitting down with him for anything." I did have ulterior motives for the demands; time to shower and dress would give me that much more time to try and figure out a way of shielding my thoughts from Pegasus. But to be honest, a shower and clean clothes sounded about as close to heaven as one could get right about now.

Croquet sighed and stepped into the room, grabbing my arm and ignoring my protests as he dragged me down the hall. "We've arranged for a change of clothing for you, and I'll give you five minutes to wash up but no longer. Consider this your only warning, you're not in charge here; you're Master Pegasus's prisoner until he deems otherwise, so watch your tone when you speak to others. You're not the Princess of Sarota here." And with that he shoved me into a bathroom and locked the door.

Almost falling on my face from the force of his shove, I glowered at the door before sighing in happiness; there on the counter of the sink were clean clothes. Not trusting Croquet to give me more than exactly five minutes, I stepped out of my grubby clothes and used a washcloth to at least wash my face and to wipe of the worst of the grime and stink off of me. Picking up the clean clothes, I made a mental note to find and thank whatever maid had provided them; there were even clean, brand new undergarments with the tags still attached. I almost cried in relief of finally being halfway clean and feeling more like a human being once I'd dressed, and as I braided my hair (seeing as I couldn't wash it and it was a dirty, tangled mess I figured a braid would be the easiest way to hide how gross I felt) I scrutinized the clothing; not my first choice, but it covered everything for the most part. The jeans were a touch tighter than I normally preferred, but that was mostly because I was curvier than the average Japanese woman. The black sweater that had been provided was also a tad tight, and since I was a little more endowed in the chest area than most girls I'd encountered – although Mai Valentine might be one of the few who could match me – the sweater rode up a little, showing a slight strip of skin all around my waist. But as I'd shown more skin in some of the dresses I've worn before it didn't bother me. Slipping back on my heels, as I had no other shoes I finished my braid and secured it with a hair tie that had been on the counter just as Croquet knocked before entering.

He gave me a quick once over he grabbed my arm again, guiding me rather roughly downstairs and into a large dining room. The entire way down I kept hoping that I would get some kind of divine intervention or a flash of brilliance that would help keep me away from Pegasus, or at least help me understand how I could keep my thoughts shielded but no dice. Croquet deposited me into a chair, snaking a handcuff around one of my wrists and the arm of the chair before stepping to stand behind Pegasus, who was eyeing me with a sickening gleam of satisfaction in his visible eye. The one hidden behind his hair was what worried me though; I could feel a heaviness in the air, especially where the Eye was located.

"Ah, little Reila how good to see you again! It's been what, about two years since we saw each other last? My my how time does fly." Pegasus said, holding up a glass of wine in a mocking toast.

"Pegasus. I see you haven't changed one bit; still wearing that ridiculous red outfit and still acting the fool." I said, narrowing my eyes at him. I was seated on his right, normally a place of honor for guests; but I was a prisoner, not a guest. Halfway down the table a huge screen came down from the ceiling, giving Pegasus real-time updates on the current status of his tournament. I almost overlooked what was on the screen, but a familiar voice drew my gaze away from Pegasus and back to the screen. "Mokuba..." I whispered, my eyes locking onto where he stood, Kemo gripping one of his arms to keep him there.

"Ah yes, it seems young Mokuba didn't care for his accommodations. Such poor manners, running away from his host like that." Pegasus said, laughing at the fierce glower I threw his way. "Oh come Reila, you know better than to try and intimidate me. It won't work, you don't have the power necessary to frighten me."

"Then what's this all about? Keeping Mokuba and I captive, staging this contest... I want to know what's so important that you'd risk ruining yourself." I said, trying to keep a tight leash on my anger and on my thoughts. One stray thought could bring about my downfall, and with me the downfall of everyone else.

"Ah ah, first let's see what little Yugi will do." He said, turning his attention to the screen. "After all, it's not every day that someone returns from the grave in order to exact their revenge."

"Return from the grave...?" I followed his gaze to the screen, my heart leaping in my throat; Seto was here! But the sound of his voice stopped my joy in it's tracks and my head tilted to the side as I analyzed the speech pattern, the way this person held themselves... "That's not Seto." I said, but couldn't pinpoint exactly what – or who – it was. That memory was still too fuzzy. The only thing I remember is something about way too many ghost puns and a clown.

Thanks __LittleKuriboh__ , now I'm getting the Abridged Series mixed up with the canon series.

"Well, it's what is left of him; and the boy showed such promise. Seems that Kaiba-boy met with a rather unfortunate accident earlier today when I sent some associates to invite him to my island, to join you and Mokuba on your little vacation." I snorted, barely keeping my temper in check. Invited, as if this were a freaking tea party and not a hostage situation.

"If that's true I'll eat my damn shoe." I said, causing Pegasus to laugh. "Whatever you may believe, I can tell you with one hundred percent certainty that whoever that is, it's not Seto nor any part of him."

"Reila, your stubbornness knows no bounds. And as entertaining as seeing you attempt to eat a shoe would be, I thought that perhaps you would care for a more appetizing fare." He clapped his hands briskly together, and a savory meal was placed on the table just as the duel was starting. I entertained the thought of snubbing the food for a grand total of two seconds; after surviving on gruel for the past three days I was dying for real food and selected a few choices from the dishes, doing my best to imitate a demure little girl at a formal dinner. If I could get Pegasus to let his guard down, maybe I could get the information I needed out of him before he decided to throw the power of his Millennium Item my way.

But before I could ask any questions, the "Seto" dueling Yugi summoned the Hitotsu-Mi Giant, just like the real Seto had. I barely concealed my shock; I'd forgotten that Pegasus somehow had gotten hold of Seto's deck, and that Yugi would return it to him... When he arrived on the island, which should be tonight if I remembered the time line correctly.

That's right, if all went according to plan Seto would be here, in the castle within the next 24 hours. I had to find a way to get him to avoid a duel with Pegasus, couldn't bear the thought that Mokuba and Seto were destined to have their souls removed by the vile snake seated on my left. But how to warn them without revealing what I knew? Dammit with all my knowledge I couldn't figure out this one little detail and it was killing me!

"Why Reila, you look so deep in thought. Care to share what troubles you? Or are you making peace with the fact that your beloved friend is gone?" Pegasus eyed me with a malicious gleam in his eye, and I reminded myself that I was treading on shaky ground; for all his flamboyancy, Pegasus was too smart to be fooled by much. I compared this little talk between us as a game of chess; each move, each word needed to be thought our carefully in order to keep myself from being back into a corner. It was something that I couldn't' afford to let happen.

"Not at all. I don't believe for one second that you're telling the truth about whoever that is, and as for Seto being dead I'll believe that when you present actual evidence. As the creator of the game, I'm sure it's easy enough for you to create an exact copy of Seto's deck; it would be a simple matter to order duplicates of any card that you've created." I shot back, and watched the grin on his face widen.

"Ah yes, you've never been one to accept things at face value. It's one of the things I admire about you, and also think is hilarious coming from someone like you. After all, where are your facts when it comes to signing new artists to your label? How accurately can you predict how popular a new band or solo act will be when you enter into negotiations? For someone who gambles so much on the unknown, you're amazingly obsessed with facts." I lapsed into silence as we both turned to the screen as Yugi summoned his Dark Magician and destroyed the fake Seto's Giant. I couldn't answer Pegasus's question because he was right; ever new artist was a gamble. But I didn't want to get into a discussion about contract signing and the process of choosing the one that my company would take the risk on.

"Why am I here, Pegasus? What could you possibly hope to gain by taking me prisoner?" Speaking of gamble, I was taking a huge one here; throwing caution to the wind and facing the problem head on. But I needed to know what he planned so that I could plan to counter it. "I'm virtually useless to you as a prisoner; the only thing you'll gain from taking me is making my uncle your enemy."

Pegasus laughed loudly. "Oh Reila, how little you know. There are much more important things in this world than who you make enemies of. And as far as your uncle knows, you've taken an impromptu trip with Mokuba to see Seto and the three of you are enjoying a nice, cozy little vacation somewhere far away to help Seto clear his head. And how unfortunate that you weren't able to properly inform your uncle, what with it being a last minute decision. Shame shame Reila, acting so impulsively. It's really quite disgraceful for a young woman to go off traipsing off with a handsome young man with only his little brother acting as chaperon. What will everyone think of such a scandal?" Pegasus watched me with an almost predatory look on his face, as though he was relishing the supposed tarnishing of my public image.

My chin lifted defiantly as I narrowed my eyes, trying to understand his reasoning. "My uncle would never believe such a story. It's too out of character for me." I didn't mention that Shuichi had been there, for I feared that Pegasus was ruthless enough to have harmed in to cover up my being taken. But a small part of me dreaded knowing if anything had happened to Shuichi, so I attempted to guide the conversation into another direction. "Even if he did believe that ridiculous lie, it still doesn't explain what you hope to gain by my being here. If your intent is to use me against Seto, I have news for you; I'm worth a lot less to him than his brother or his company. Don't think that you can force him into anything by using my well being as a threat."

"Ah that's where I think you're wrong Reila; I think that Kaiba-boy cares for you much more than he's willing to admit. After all, he allows his treasured younger brother to be around you, and a little birdie told me that it was you who were there for him on the night of his defeat at Yugi's hands, as a shoulder to lean on of course." Pegasus had no problem flaunting that he had spies inside either Seto's company or home; neither of those were good signs. It's not as though corporate spying was a new concept, I myself had a few select people positioned within companies all across the world feeding me information. But to know that someone had such knowledge... I made a mental note to warn Seto.

Before I could respond a flash of silvery white appeared in the corner of my eye, and I turned again to the screen... And saw the Blue Eyes White Dragon. I sucked in my breath, knowing that only Seto's deck had that particular monster in it. It wasn't until I assured myself that Seto would currently be on his way to the island that I trusted myself to speak again. "So how many duplicates of the Blue eyes White Dragon did you create?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady. Pegasus was silent for a moment as we both watched Yugi summon his Magical Hats, and the "Seto" proceeded to eliminate one empty hat.

"No duplicates were made Reila. Don't you believe that Kaiba would willingly come back from the grave to seek revenge against Yugi?" Pegasus seemed amused by my lack of trust in him.

"This has nothing to do with what I believe; this has everything to do with the fact that you want me to believe in the unbelievable and that you're refusing to answer my question. Now either answer me, Pegasus, or I'll return to my quarters. But I refuse to sit here and listen to one more insinuation that Seto is gone; not even you possess the power to get away with murder." I locked eyes with Pegasus, trying to use my eyes to intimidate him as so many others would be when fixed with my onyx gaze. But Pegasus is not an ordinary man, and instead my attempts caused a chilling smile to form on his face.

I knew that I was out of my league when it came to facing off against him. I might be able to shake up a business meeting and out think those with whom my company dealt, but Maximillian Pegasus was another type of man; one who had nothing to lose, and everything to gain. If his plans with the Kaiba Corp. executives didn't work out, there was no legal proof of his actions thus far. And if he managed to defeat Yugi...

That wasn't an acceptable option.

"My, you are a most ungracious guest. How many other girls can say that they have had a vacation on a private island? So shameful Reila, I do feel that your uncle would be quite disappointed. However, as I have no intention of revealing my plans to you just yet, I suppose I shall have to send you on your way. But given that it's already been made clear that the security of my tower isn't what it ought to be, I'll have to move your lodgings to a more secure location. After all, it wouldn't do for you to go gallivanting around on the island without a proper escort." Snapping his fingers, Pegasus summoned Croquet, along with two other guards. Sparing a glance to the screen I saw that the second Blue Eyes White Dragon had come into play, and was quickly losing attack power, appearing to melt. I'd never fully understood how a computer virus could effect a card game, but regardless it made me smile.

Seto was on the attack, and that meant things were going as they should.

Pegasus scowled at the screen before laughing. "It would seem that Kaiba is still very much alive. Ah well, this just means that I'll need to rethink my plans." Turning his attention to me, each of his two goons grabbed one of my arms in a bruising grip. "Reila, you're far too intelligent for your own good; I can't risk you running away just as Mokuba did, so I'm afraid you're being relocated to a room where the chances of you escaping are absolutely zero. But don't worry, I have a feeling you'll be getting company soon." With a wave of his hand, Pegasus dismissed me and his hired thugs began leading me away. I managed to get them to stop briefly as I called over my shoulder to Pegasus.

"Don't think that I'll forget this Pegasus; mark my words, I'll enjoy taking you down once I'm free." I didn't receive any response other than his mocking laughter trailing me down the hall. Sighing in frustration, I belatedly realized that if I hadn't let my temper get the better of me, I might have been able to get some real information out of him. But I was too stressed, worried about both Mokuba and Seto to really think clearly, to plan and scheme like I normally did. Gathering information and plotting were my strengths, but I'd allowed emotions to cloud my judgment. And thankfully, I hadn't felt anything unusual sensations that I'm sure went along with someone reading the mind of another person. Hopefully I'd kept my thoughts safe... Somehow.

But the big question of how to warn Seto to not duel Pegasus was what weighed most heavily on my mind. Glancing around the hallway, I saw a staircase leading down and realized that I was being relocated to the dungeon, where Mokuba and Seto would both eventually end up. A real life dungeon; as if Pegasus wasn't psychotic enough, he just had to have a proper dungeon with manacles and heavy iron bars.

I hate castles.

Glancing at the two guards, then again at the stairwell I realized that the two of them together would never fit side by side; their shoulders were too broad, especially when I was in the middle of them. That meant that at least one of them was going to have to release his hold on my arm. Keeping my body from tensing in anticipation, I waited until we'd gotten to the top of the stairs and the man on my left released his hold on my arm, moving to step down in front of us.

It was just the moment I was waiting for. Since I'm right handed the right side of my body was the slightest bit stronger than my left, and I was able to wrench my arm out of Goon Two's hold. Although both men were larger and stronger than I am, I was fairly quick when it came to running and that speed was what I was relying on now. Ducking around Goon One before he could turn around fully, I bolted down the stairs blindly, thinking only of hiding somewhere until the coast was clear and making my way out of the castle. If I could find Yugi and his friends, they were bound to run into Seto and I could warn him of what was happening. Then together we could form a plan to get Mokuba back, and get off this stupid island and away from that jacka-

My thoughts ended abruptly as pain blossomed in my left ankle; I was so distracted by my thoughts that I'd over stepped, the heel of my stiletto landing wrong on the edge of a step and I felt a tear in my ankle as the heel broke off my shoe. Suddenly off balance, I pitched forward and crashed hard on the floor, every part of my body throbbing in pain; there had been about ten steps in between where I fell and the flat floor of the hallway I was now sprawled in. I tried to scramble up quickly, but the minute I put weight on my left ankle I cried out and crumbled to the ground, scowling at nothing in particular as I realized what had happened. The tearing I'd felt and the pain I was now feeling caused my to grit my teeth in frustration; I've sprained my ankle before and I wasn't going to be running, let alone walking without help for a long while.

Goons One and Two smirked as the walked casually down the stairs, clearly laughing at my misfortune. They didn't say a word as they hauled me roughly off the ground, practically carrying me down the hall and into a cell, complete with iron bars and stone walls. "You could at least get me a damn pillow." I grumbled under my breath, using the bars and uneven stones in the wall to ease down and sit on the ground. As the cell door slammed shut and they walked away, the bastards actually had the nerve to laugh at my comment. Glowering at their retreating forms, I let out a gusty sigh; I should have known something like this would happen. Running in heels is never a good idea, but I couldn't exactly go around barefoot, especially if I had managed to get outside. I could have taken them off as I was running and put them back on once I was outside the castle, but that would have taken up precious time that I had been trying to use to get away.

Not that any of it mattered now. Now I got to sit here like a damsel in distress and wait to be saved, a thought that made me grimace. I'm going to demand Seto buy me a new pair of shoes after this nightmare is over; it'll soothe my wounded pride if nothing else.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Woohoo guys, we have reached 200 readers! That seriously made my week, thanks so much to everyone who has read and stuck with the story this far!

A special thanks to those who have favorited and followed the story, and also thank you to **animagirl** , **Drachegirl14** , and **lalalei** for reviewing. You all are awesome!

I claim no ownership over the song _The Blessing. The Blessing_ was written by David Downes and Brandon Graham, performed by Lisa Kelly. All rights to the song belong to them and their production company.

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

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Chapter 7

"Is it too much to ask for a bit of good luck?" I mumbled, gingerly poking my left ankle and wincing at the pain. In the past few hours it had swollen up nicely, and a dark bruise spread across half of it. I'd sprained it pretty badly this time; I've sprained ankles before but they were always minor, and after a day or two I was able to put weight on it so long as I wore an air cast or splint to stabilize it. My doctor keeps warning me that I need to stop wearing heels so much, that eventually my ankles will be permanently damaged. I suppose I should follow his advice, especially in the near future since I have no doubt that I'm going to be running quite a bit.

Movies lie, it's not easy running in heels and shouldn't be attempted on a regular basis. I thought I'd perfected the art, but running in heels and running downstairs in heels are two totally different things. Take my word for it, if you can avoid running in heels do so, especially when you're being held in a hostage situation. The resulting damage isn't worth it.

Sighing I attempted to elevate my ankle, hoping to reduce the swelling. I should be icing it every hour, but Pegasus seems to be taking a sick delight in letting me suffer; either that or his henchmen failed to tell him that I'd been injured. But seeing as the man was planning on taking the souls of my friends, and has already taken the soul of Yugi's grandfather I wouldn't be shocked if he was purposely letting me wallow in pain to try and teach me some sort of lesson. Joke's on him though, the only thing the pain is doing is fueling my temper and inspiring a series of diabolical plots that eventually end up with Pegasus in total disgrace, preferably homeless and penniless.

Blowing a curl out of my face I again surveyed the cell I was being held in. There wasn't a single piece of furniture, not even a pillow and blanket. Obviously the cells weren't for entertainment, but for legitimately holding Pegasus's enemies and hostages. Too bad I know nothing about lock picking, otherwise I would have high tailed it out of here by now, regardless of a sprained ankle. I even briefly considered pulling a _Pirates of the Caribbean_ and just full on taking out the door like Will Turner had, however I had nothing to use to leverage the door and I wasn't entirely sure that this cell door and the one in the movie had the same type of hinges. Attached to the wall were a set of manacles, but the guards hadn't bothered to lock me in them, seeing as I could barely walk.

Thank whatever powers that be for small favors. Those tings would probably ratchet up my pain level to an eleven.

One thing that this entire craptastic adventure was teaching me; when I was outside the realm of my family's influence, I am effectively powerless. In the business world I'm a force to be reckoned with, but take me out of the boardroom and put me in a real situation that doesn't involve a business contract and I'm practically defenseless. I've never had to fight a day in my life – er, either lives – and hadn't ever thought to be in any situations that would require me to. That would change in the near future, as I fully intend to take Mariko up on those self defense lessons she's been pressuring me to take. It's unfortunate that something like this had to happen before I understood just how powerless I really am.

Thinking about Mariko, the head of security for my family and the company brought a wave of homesickness; this was the longest amount of time that my uncle, Hojo and I had gone without talking to one another since I'd been adopted back into the family. Hojo and I spent a lot of time together, always joking and laughing it up. We could truly be ourselves with one another without having to worry about keeping up appearances, and our friendship was all the stronger for it. Sure we had our disagreements, but we were both mature enough to talk things through after we'd had a chance to cool down. A family trait that seemed to have skipped my grandfather's personality was that when angered we walk away and cool down, never acting rashly. My uncle is the same, and although we are close there was still a small wall between us; he sees too much of my mother in me and it causes him pain. He never speaks of it, but I sometimes see a flicker of sadness in his eyes and know that he still carries unnecessary guilt over my mother's passing. No words from me can take it away from him, so we leave it as something unspoken between us.

They both must be going out of their heads with worry by now; despite Pegasus's insistence, I know that neither Uncle Sota nor Hojo will believe that I up and left without telling them myself. And poor Shuichi, he would have been the one to explain to everyone how he hadn't seen me leave. I felt horrible for making him face the wrath of his wife all alone; Mariko is a frightening woman when angered, despite being as petite as I am. But she's well trained in martial arts and can use just about any weapon known to man, all with startling efficiency. She's damn good at what she does and takes her position as head of security very seriously. I'll be lucky to be able to go anywhere without a dozen guards by the time I get home.

That also brought up the question of what I was going to tell everyone when I got home. Do I tell them that I went on a vacation with Seto and Mokuba? Or do I tell them the truth, minus the whole soul-stealing thing? Either way it was going to look bad and result in heads rolling somewhere...

Hearing footsteps in the hallway, I sat up straighter from where I sat with my back against the far wall. Straightening my clothes a little, I made sure my irritation showed on my face and prepared a menacing glare for whoever walked by; right now the only power play I had were my eyes, and making someone uneasy by looking at them might help make me feel a little better internally.

Kemo appeared, and I cursed softly under my breath that he was still wearing sunglasses, even in the darkened hallway. With those shades of his, I couldn't read any emotion from him unless he chose to show it. He had a wide smirk on his face though, but by this point having others so blatantly enjoying my situation didn't even faze me. Let them laugh and smirk all they wanted; I'd find a way to make them pay later. Another guard stood behind him, but I barely paid attention to him.

Opening the door, he motioned for the other guard to step inside while Kemo moved to stand right in front of me. "How the mighty fall. For being the Princess of Sarota, you're nothing compared to Master Pegasus. Look how easily he's put you in your place."

My lips formed into a condescending smile. "Only a complete moron thinks that clothing or location make someone powerful; don't ever count someone out of the game before it's over. A caged tiger is even more dangerous because you never know when or how they'll strike, but trust me when I say I will strike back. And when I do, nothing in this world will be able to save you from my wrath." I paused for just a moment before I half-way lunged forward, causing Kemo to step back involuntarily and I could practically taste the jolt of fear. I laughed quietly, because his body language told me everything I needed to know. He was unnerved under my gaze, and he'd just given me a weapon to use against him. "Watch your back Kemo, because one day you're going to look over your shoulder and see me standing there, ushering in your downfall."

Kemo sneered as the other guard grunted and cursed, taking a familiar looking shoe to the chin as he attempted to shackle my new cellmate. I'd been so focused on Kemo that I hadn't even seen them bring in anyone else. Glancing to the side, my eyes widened even as my heart plummeted right into my stomach; Mokuba _had_ been recaptured. A small part of me had clung to the hope that maybe something different could have happened to prevent Mokuba being brought back into Pegasus's clutches. Joey and Tristan could have possibly teamed up to take down Kemo and protect him, but hoping that two teenage boys would think up such a plan was apparently asking too much.

Once Mokuba was shackled in both men turned to leave without another word. Waiting until they were out of earshot, I scooted closer to Mokuba, who immediately clambered into my lap as best he could. "Reila! I'm so glad you're alright. I wasn't sure what they'd done to you or where you were..."

"I'm glad you're alright too, Mokuba." I said, finally getting us both into a somewhat comfortable position. I'd managed to sidle up beside him, pulling him close and twisting my torso to give him a full hug, one that he returned tightly. "I was worried when Pegasus told me you had escaped; I kept thinking that you might have gotten hurt somehow."

"Well, I miscalculated how long I needed to make my sheet rope." Mokuba said, with a small grin. "Luckily a few tree branches broke my fall, and nothing's broken so I guess that's a good thing."

I groaned and shook my head in response.

"I tried to get Yugi out of the tournament so that Pegasus couldn't take over the company... But I failed." Mokuba said, tucking himself tightly against my side, one arm wrapped around my waist as though he were afraid to let go. "Maybe I should have tried to get help first though. No offense Reila, but you look awful. And your ankle... How did that happen?" He said, gesturing to the puffed up black and blue skin that peeked out from the jeans that I wore.

"Mokuba, you did what you thought was best. You only had so many options and taking Yugi out would have eliminated his chance to take over Kaiba Corp.; no defeating Yugi, no board members handing over the company. I probably would have done the same thing in your shoes, and I'm proud of you for trying so hard to protect your brother's work." Gesturing to my ankle, I grimaced. "As for my ankle, it's the result of a failed escape attempt on my part. I managed to get out of the guards' hands while they were bringing me down here, but apparently my brain shut off for a moment because I sprained it while running down some stairs."

Thinking back, I probably shouldn't have taken off _down_ the stairs. I should have darted down the hallway and looked for an exit out of this stupid castle. But it was too late to go back and change that now. I'd beat myself up for that moment of glaring stupidity later.

Mokuba winced in sympathetic pain. "It looks pretty bad Reila... Wait how did you know Pegasus needs to beat Yugi in order to get the board to follow him?" Mokuba asked, and I saw a hint of suspicion enter his eyes.

I barely kept myself from tensing as I realized that Mokuba hadn't actually said anything about why he'd attempted to get Yugi out of the tournament; I'd been remembering the canon story line. I can't believe that I made such a stupid mistake. Mokuba was just as sharp as his brother, and with how suspicious Seto could be at times, it was no wonder that some of it had rubbed off onto Mokuba.

"Pegasus told me when he 'invited' me out of the tower to lunch." I said, making sure to keep my voice even and not let anything reveal the little lie. "I tried to get as much information out of him as I could, but after that admission he saw through me and clammed up."

The suspicion vanished from his eyes as he sighed. "I couldn't do anything. And now there's no way to contact Seto. I know he's still alive; he helped Yugi win a duel against some creepy imposter. Kemo tried to get us all to believe it was a ghost of Seto come back from the dead to get revenge, but I knew from the start that it wasn't my brother."

I leaned down and placed my cheek on top of Mokuba's head. "You know your brother best Mokuba. Pegasus even tried to get me to believe that it was a ghost; the duel was on his monitor while I was with him. That imposter may have been good, but even through a camera lens I could see that it wasn't him; your brother is not someone who can be copied or emulated easily."

Mokuba laughed, although it was a strained sound. "Yeah the guy started talking about how he was the 'evil part' of my brother that Yugi had sent to something called the 'Shadow Realm'... Do you know what he could have meant? Or was he just crazy?"

This time, I couldn't stop the tension that shot through my body and Mokuba noticed, looking up at me with a questioning look. Sighing I looked away, debating what I should say. But ultimately I had only one of two options; lie to Mokuba, or tell the truth... Well, a half truth. I couldn't tell Mokuba everything because I didn't want him to have the same burden that I did; knowing that I wanted to change as much as possible, but knowing that changing too much could lead to disaster. I didn't remember the entire story, but I did remember that Zorc loomed in the future – er, past-future? I'd always been a little vague on when exactly that particular threat existed in the time line.

"Mokuba, there are some things in this world that despite intelligence and advanced technology can't be explained." I started, choosing my words carefully. "I've heard... Stories about people having items that give them special abilities. Of realms that exist right beside our own, ones that are full of evil beings. I don't know if it's true or not; I don't know if Yugi actually has some ability to banish evil like that imposter claimed, but either way there's nothing to be done about it now. Your brother is alive and most likely on his way here, and the imposter has been defeated. That's the important thing, right?"

Mokuba was quiet as he thought over the words of my half-truth. I didn't want to outright lie to him, but maybe getting him to understand that some things were so outside the realm of normal would make it easier on him in the future; since there was going to be a ridiculous amount of weirdness and ancient magic mumbo jumbo being thrown around in the very near future.

* * *

 _Meanwhile..._

Seto stepped out of his helicopter, seething with barely contained rage. Just when he'd managed to come to terms with his defeat from Yugi, Pegasus and the members of his own board of directors hatched a plot to take over Kaiba Corp., to take away everything he'd worked so hard for. His life's work was invested in the company, and he'd rather burn it all to the ground and scatter the ashes before he let anyone else take what he'd fought so hard to get. But even more than that, they'd taken his little brother captive; the one person who meant more to him then anyone in the world was being held here on this very island.

Already he'd evaded Pegasus's henchmen twice, once by jumping out a damn window and another by sneaking out of his own house. Fury over the insults rolled in his gut, fueled by his worry for his brother and his determination to beat Pegasus at his own game. Literally.

He would make them all regret the day they'd crossed Seto Kaiba.

As much as he wanted to, he couldn't ignore that he'd landed the helicopter right next to where Yugi and his friends had made camp for the night. When Yugi ran forward to him, he briefly entertained the thought of ignoring him; however, Yugi was a duelist who had skills that he could grudgingly admire, so he would give him two minutes of his time before heading towards the castle so conveniently perched within view above the tree lines.

"I haven't seen you since our duel, Yugi." Kaiba looked down at the boy who had a cheerful look on his face, despite the fact that he looked tired; Seto could see the bags under his eyes and briefly wondered what was causing him to lose sleep at night. But it was a fleeting thought, and to ask would invite more conversation which Seto didn't want nor had time for.

"Oh! Here... Your deck. I've been keeping it for you. Just think of it as a thank you for that duel you helped me win." Yugi held out Seto's Duel Monsters deck, and Seto felt a wave of relief at seeing it; he'd had to leave it behind when Pegasus's goons had managed to track him down at his private villa, where they'd taken it after his escape and given it to another person who had impersonated him. He'd find the fake Kaiba and make them regret ever having tried to impersonate him, but only after his brother and company were safe.

"Thanks." Taking the cards Seto tucked them into his coat pocket, weighing his options on what to say; Seto only freely talked with his brother and Reila, and even then those were small conversations where both of them knew he preferred to speak only when he had something important to say. Seto had never been one to waste time with small talk, so when confronted with situations like this, he really didn't know what the proper course was to take. Yugi was thanking him for helping to defeat an imposter, one who had the gall to use _his_ deck. But Yugi had also kept his deck safe, so some show of gratitude was expected... "You'll be compensated for all of your trouble." Seto declared, turning to walk away.

"Huh? Actually Kaiba, I was thinking; since we're all headed for Pegasus's castle, you could stick with us. Of course, you'll need some star chips..." Yugi said, not even realizing how hopeful he sounded.

Seto paused for a grand total of two seconds while he just barely stopped the urge to shake his head; Yugi was thinking along the lines of the tournament and nothing else, and Seto marveled at his naivety. But Seto didn't care about the tournament nor who would eventually win; he only cared about the safety of his brother and company. For such a smart duelist, this kid was shockingly simple; that way of thinking, of never stepping a toe out of line because of the rules laid by someone else was something Seto couldn't understand.

"Don't be so naive, this isn't just a game for me Yugi. I'm going after Pegasus to save my brother, not to win some silly prize. Have fun with your tournament."

Turning and beginning to walk away – again – Seto had almost made it to the tree line when Yugi's friend Joey came darting around, taking hold of his jacket and beginning to rant at him.

"Hey, listen tough guy; I can understand you wanting to get your little brother and Reila back and all, but don't go thinking that you're the only one here with a noble cause, capisce? We all have something worth fighting for, so if you want a piece of Pegasus, get in line or deal with me."

Seto froze internally at the blonde idiot's words; Mokuba _and_ Reila were here? How had Pegasus managed to get a hold of Reila, and what reason did he have for bringing her here? She had no part in the management of Kaiba Corp. and her family wouldn't let this insult go easily. His mind reeling, he shoved Wheeler aside. "What do you mean Mokuba **and** Reila?"

"It's true, Mokuba told us when we saw him earlier." The girl who always hung around Yugi stepped forward, and Seto recognized her from the class they'd shared; she was the one who had been so star struck when Reila had appeared at the school. Not the crazy one hanging out the window, but the brunette obviously had some admiration from Reila, if her tone was anything to go by. "Mokuba said that Reila had come to your corporate office to pick him up and take him to her home to stay while you were gone, and that when she saw him being taken she tried to rescue him. Pegasus's men drugged her and took her with Mokuba."

Seto's teeth ground together in frustration; Reila had been kidnapped while trying to protect his brother. This was the second time that she'd put herself in harms way for Mokuba, and although a part of him was grateful another part was furious; didn't she know that she couldn't take on fully grown men, especially ones who were trained as efficiently as they must be? She was smart enough to know that she couldn't do anything to harm them, so what had she been thinking? "Thanks for the information, but it changes little; do you really think that I'm going to let your little tournament delay me from finding Pegasus?" Seto pushed aside his worry, which had now doubled and embraced the emotions he could actively work with, ones that he was intimately familiar with; condescension and anger.

"Forget Pegasus; now you have me to deal with. So bust out your cards and let's get it on!" Wheeler faced Seto with a determined look on his face, and Seto could almost admire his courage, if it wasn't so painfully obvious that he was asking to duel someone so far above his level. Seto considered for a moment though, as his new dueling system was untested. If he was going to take on Pegasus, he needed to ensure that the biggest part of his strategy to win worked properly; not that he had ever created an inferior product. But a field test would ease his mind and allow him to concentrate more fully on taking down Pegasus, freeing his brother and Reila, and ensuring that his company remained untouched.

This would be interesting.

* * *

Mokuba slowly woke up from where he'd been sleeping awkwardly on the floor. We'd managed to shuffle into a somewhat comfortable position, with him using my thigh as a pillow while he slept. I hadn't slept while I sat propped against the wall, instead I had stayed awake the entire time watching over Mokuba and trying to come up with a way to protect him from having his soul taken by Pegasus. Because if I guessed correctly, today was the day that Seto would enter the castle for the first time, and Pegasus would take his soul as collateral to get Seto to do as he wanted.

Try as I may, I couldn't think of a single way to do it. I didn't possess a Millennium Item to counteract the Eye, nor did I have any magical abilities. I discarded ideas almost as quickly as they formed, because none of them could possibly work. The one that had dwelt the longest was possibly shielding Mokuba's eyes from gazing into the Eye; if he didn't have a clear line of sight, he couldn't take a soul right?

But then I remembered him taking Yugi's grandfather's soul through a video tape and that theory got shot right out of the sky.

The more I tried to come up with a plan, the more roadblocks I hit; the more roadblocks I hit, the more frustrated and angry I got. The helplessness of the situation before me weighed heavily on my heart, and the sensation to scream at the world came and went more than once. What good was having this knowledge of what was to come if I couldn't do anything to prevent one of those I card most about from being harmed. Mokuba was an innocent child, and Pegasus was going to use him in his sick delusion of bringing his wife back.

Even in this world where magic existed and souls came and went, bringing back the dead just _wasn't possible_. And even if you could bring back the dead, what was the point? To have them die a second time? It seemed like Pegasus hadn't thought this out clearly... Whatever disease had killed her would most likely still be a factor and while there had been many advances in medicine over the past few years, there was no guarantee that there would be a cure for her particular disease, especially not if it had advanced enough to kill her in the first place.

Folklore and mythology was full of stories that cautioned against attempting to raise the dead. But men like Pegasus assumed they were above such things, and add the power of the Millennium Items into the mix... It was a recipe for disaster of epic proportions.

Running a hand down my face, I tried again to find a way to keep Mokuba's soul in his body and not wherever Pegasus would lock him up. Although I doubted that Pegasus would send his soul to the Shadow Realm, I wasn't about to chance it. And relying on Yugi was a last resort; if I could just find a way...

"Reila, what are you thinking about? Your face is so serious." Mokuba said, peeking up at me. His hand was clutched around the card-shaped locket he wore, which I knew contained a picture of Seto from when they were in the orphanage. He'd shown me the picture last night, and explained how Seto wore a matching one with Mokuba's picture inside. I thought it was a sweet gesture, a way for them to always be connected even if they weren't right there with one another. He held it tightly, as if it was the most precious thing in the world. And to him, it most likely was.

"Just trying to think of a way to get us out of here. But I can't come up with anything remotely possible." As much as I hated lying to him, I couldn't burden him with my knowledge. The more time dragged on, the closer Seto got. And the closer Seto got to us, the closer both he and Mokuba got to having their souls taken.

"Seto will come. He said he'd always come for me, no matter what. We just gotta have faith, right?" Mokuba's eyes searched mine, and I saw hope flickering in their depths. Smiling faintly, I ran a hand through his hair, the action familiar to us both and going a long way to soothing both he and I.

"You're right. I just have a hard time accepting that I need to be rescued. Normally I'm the one doing the saving." I said, closing my eyes and leaning my head against the wall. "My father always said that I was less damsel, more warrior. He swore that if we had been born in the past, I would have shaken up everyone with my self-sufficient ways."

"You never talk about your parents much. What were they like?" Mokuba's question was soft, almost as if he were afraid of hurting my feelings.

It's true that I don't talk about my parents from this life much. Although I'd loved them with everything I had, a part of me was... Angry. My father, Marcus had been devoted to me and my mother. I could still see his bright blue eyes, so full of life and happiness as he watched me grow. I couldn't be angry at him; I knew in my heart that he'd done his best to fight off the illness that had taken him. My mother, Katsumi... I loved her, I truly did. But a part of me was angry and hurt that she had slowly willed herself to die. She'd been sorr for it, towards the end, but she'd loved her husband more than she had her child. She'd trusted that her family wouldn't leave me on my own, but _she'd_ left me on my own. Sure, I buried the pain and the anger and did my best to honor her memory, but the anger and betrayal lingered.

Pushing those thoughts aside I opened my eyes slowly. "My father was a wonderful man. He was full of life, always smiling and laughing at every little thing. He worked hard to provide for me and my mom, but was never too busy to make time for me. He encouraged my love of music, even though my mother sometimes was uneasy by it. She'd had a bad falling out with her family – my grandfather to be exact – over marrying him. Uncle Sota told me that my dad, Marcus, had come to Japan to work in Sarota Entertainment's accounting department. That's where they met, and shortly after they fell in love." I paused, collecting my thoughts as I pushed aside the pain that always accompanied talking about them. "My mother chose love over everything else, and the two of them left everything they had behind to build a life together. When I was born, my mother said it was the happiest day of her life; that I was proof to the world how deep and true their love was."

Mokuba was quiet for a moment. "They sound like they were really nice people."

"They were; I don't think I ever saw them angry or raise their voices. My mother stayed at home to raise me, and although my father traveled a lot for business he always came home with a smile and gifts for the both of us." I smiled faintly at the memories. "And he would always be sure to sing me a song before he left, and every night that he was home he would sing me to sleep with the same song."

"What song was it?" Mokuba asked, sitting up and turning towards me.

"It's called _The Blessing_. My father said that his friend in Ireland wrote it, and planned to have a woman perform it. But my father heard it and knew right away that it was how he felt about me." I said, pain lashing me at the memory.

"... Can you sing it for me?" Mokuba was hesitant to ask, and I'm sure he could see the pain in my eyes. But strangely, the pain was dulling a little by talking about it, by remembering the good times. Swallowing thickly, I nodded and began singing.

" _In the morning when you rise,_

 _I bless the sun, I bless the skies._

 _I bless your lips, I bless your eyes_

 _My blessing goes with you..."_

* * *

Seto ran through the hallways, cursing softly under his breath. He needed to find Mokuba and Reila quickly. Since that idiot Kemo had tripped the alarm, Seto had seen scores of guards running around trying to find him; he'd managed to evade them all so far, but he knew that luck wouldn't hold out forever.

 _Who on earth would live in an actual castle with a maze of tunnels?_ Seto could wring Pegasus's neck for this alone. It was a waste of his time, and already it had taken him longer than he liked to get even this far. Defeating Wheeler had soothed a little of his anger, but too much of it remained. And until he was sure that his little brother was safe, it would remain with him.

Moving quickly down a set of stairs, he spotted two guards standing watch; guards only stood watch like that when they were protecting something important, or some _one_ important. Moving silently, Seto caught one man off guard and thanks to a few self defense classes able to easily incapacitate him. The other guard didn't even manage to get a full sentence out before Seto knocked him out cold as well. Stepping over them, he glared and memorized their faces. Once his brother was safe, he would see to it that these two never forgot that crossing a Kaiba was the last mistake anyone made.

A little down the hall and to the left was a cell, and Seto moved quickly to it, pausing as a soft feminine voice sang quietly. Stepping closer to the cell, he kept himself in the shadows while he looked in, spotting Reila and Mokuba both. Relief flooded through him, even as anger over their treatment spiked. Mokuba looked physically alright, just a little dirtier than normal and his hair looked dull from not having a shower. But Reila...

His eyes flew over her figure, taking in every detail; dark circles marred the skin beneath her eyes, and her skin looked even paler as though she'd been sick recently. Dressed in ill fitting clothing, she looked so far from the usual vibrant young woman he knew that if it wasn't or her hair and eyes he'd think she was someone else. And when his eyes settled on the mess that was her ankle... His free hand curled into a fist at the bruise spread across the pale skin. Pegasus would pay alright, for kidnapping his brother and for subjecting Reila to such conditions.

Beginning to step forward, he stopped for just a moment as he realized that Reila was singing a lullaby of sorts to Mokuba, who watched her with wide eyes. Barely formed tears were present in Mokuba's as Reila stroked a hand through his hair, and Seto saw tears glittering on her lashes as she sang, her eyes slightly unfocused as if lost in memory. Whatever the song was, it held deep meaning to her.

" _When the storms of life are strong,_

 _when you're wounded when you don't belong._

 _When you no longer hear my song,_

 _my blessing goes with you..._

 _This is my prayer for you,_

 _there for you ever true._

 _Each, every day for you,_

 _in everything you do._

 _And when you come to me,_

 _and hold me close to you..._

 _I bless you, and you bless me too."_

Reila's voice choked on a sob, and she hung her head as Mokuba panicked and clung tightly to her. "Reila, I'm sorry. You don't have to keep going..."

"It's alright Mokuba." She said quietly, brushing a tear off her cheek. "It's just that I haven't sung that song since my father died. But... I'm glad I shared it with you. I know he would have liked you to hear it, for me to share it with you." She gave him a sad smile, and Seto flinched at the pain he saw in her eyes. "You would have loved him, Mokuba. And I know he would have loved you."

Mokuba looked up at her, a pained expression on his face but a small smile there too. "I'm sorry for asking you to sing something that caused you so much pain. I didn't know you'd never shared it with anyone else."

"Don't feel bad. I knew that there was a chance that I might cry. But I wanted you to hear it and I want you to remember the words; because no matter what happens in life, I want you to know that my blessing goes with you." She said, kissing Mokuba's forehead and touching the locket that hung around his neck. "Whatever you go through a part of me goes with you, just like a part of Seto is always with you."

Seto chose that moment to step forward, partially because they needed to get going right away and partially because Reila's words... They stirred something within him, something that he didn't have the time, patience, or desire to investigate right then. Mokuba saw him move out of the corner of his eye and turned, a bright smile curling onto his lips as he stood.

"Seto? Seto it's you!"

* * *

I hastily wiped the remaining tears from my eyes, pushing aside the grief that had risen up while singing my father's song to me. Now wasn't the time to wallow, there was too much at stake right now. Clutching the wall, I stood slowly while Seto and Mokuba spoke. Making sure to keep my weight on my right foot, I braced myself as Seto's eyes turned to me, darkening slightly with anger. "Tell me what happened." He growled, eyes darting to my sprained ankle.

"I tried to escape and ended up spraining my ankle in the process. The heel of my shoe broke and sent me down the stairs... It's not broken, just a bad sprain." I explained, hoping to calm him down. Because if my guess was correct – and it usually was lately – Pegasus would be making his appearance in just a few short moments, and Seto needed to be focused on that.

When Mokuba attempted to move closer to Seto, forgetting the shackles on his own ankles. When they jarred him to a stop, Seto's face flashed a look of concern mixed with anger. "Give me a second to pick this lock and then we're all out of here." Seto swooped down to the lock on the door, reaching into his jacket pocket for his picks when a voice rang out.

Pegasus.

"Well well, the brother's Kaiba; reunited at last. And little Reila, I'm sure you're overjoyed to be with them both again as well. Bravo Kaiba, bravo. I knew nothing would stop you from getting here."

Seto turned his face to him, face set into a grimace of distaste and anger. "Pegasus." He spoke his name with such vehemence that I was actually impressed with how much hatred and anger could be placed in one word.

"I knew you'd come for Mokuba eventually, and Reila as well once you knew I had them both." Pegasus said, his voice brimming with amusement. It made me want to wipe the damn smirk right off his face.

"Oh you did? Well tell me something Pegasus – did you also foresee what I'm about to do to you for harming my little brother and Reila?" Seto's hands were clenched into fists, and I moved slowly towards the bars so that I could see down the hallway to where Pegasus stood, a triumphant smile on his face.

"Actually Kaiba I predict that you won't lay a finger on me."

Seto started to move forward in anger, but I reached through the bars and grabbed onto his hand, causing him to pause and wait. I gave him a pleading look, begging him to be cautious and he seemed to rethink his brash behavior, settling back into a wary stance as he eyed Pegasus. We'd all suffered for underestimating Pegasus already. "And why is that?" Seto asked, squeezing my hand lightly to let me know he'd got the message.

A dark chuckle sounded from Pegasus.

Seto ground his teeth in frustration. "You conniving snake, I should take you down right now for what you've done to them."

"Don't be ridiculous Kaiba-boy. In my dungeon, in my castle, in my realm the only one who makes threats... Is me." Pegasus's Millennium Eye glowed brightly in the dim light, and reflexively Seto's hand clamped tighter on mine, drawing my closer to the bars as I cried out in surprise, barely keeping my balance and the weight off my bad ankle. Clutching the bar with my free hand I closed my eyes against the harsh light, the air around me feeling heavy and weighted as I struggled to breathe.

The feeling was even more intesnse then what I'd experienced during Seto's duel with Yugi. The pressure weighed so heavily on my chest that I gasped, trying ot force my lungs into taking in oxygen. My skin tingled, as though an electrical charge was in the air and I felt light headed, dizziness hitting me hard. If not for Seto's hand clutching mine and my grip on the bars, I'm pretty sure I'd have fallen flat on my face but miraculously I stayed standing, holding myself up even as my legs shook from my fear and the pressure weighing on me.

When the light died and we opened our eyes, I heard a thud behind me and turned to find Mokuba face down on the floor, not moving. Terror clutched my heart as Seto called to him questioningly, but I knew the truth; Pegasus had taken Mokuba's soul, and I hadn't been able to stop it.

"Mokuba!" I screamed, darting forward and stumbling as pain lashed up my leg. I ground my teeth together and hissed at the pain, but once I was on the ground I rolled Mokuba over, brushing the hair from his face. "Mokuba? Come on answer me!"

Pegasus's laughter was the only thing I heard, and as Seto demanded to know what Pegasus had done I tuned them out. Pulling Mokuba into my lap I cradled him close, not able to stop a few tears from falling as they landed on his face. His eyes were open now and so hauntingly blank... I couldn't stand it. I'd failed him, failed so horribly. I hadn't been able to stop it, couldn't protect him from this. I shook from anger at myself, anger at the situation... I bit my lip so hard that I tasted blood as I tried to push aside the guilt and helplessness, to focus and keep things from escalating further.

"Not just yet Kaiba – you must first earn the privilege to challenge me; and you can only do that by defeating Yugi in a duel. And if you can't win against him, then Mokuba's soul will remain mine forever."

I lifted my face to see the determined expression on Seto's face, and bit back another sob; because the duel that Pegasus spoke of would be where Seto would gamble with his very life. Clutching Mokuba tightly to my chest, I watched the inner turmoil he felt play across Seto's face. Turning to us, his eyes searched Mokuba's face, looking for some hint that it wasn't real; that it was a trick played by Pegasus. My heart nearly broke at the sight, and I wished with everything I had that I had the power to make everything alright for them. They'd been through so much already, why would they need to suffer anymore?

Seto's gaze locked with mine, and I saw the briefest hint of vulnerability; Mokuba truly was the one chink in his armor, and Pegasus had exploited it masterfully. Even without my knowledge of the events to come, I knew Seto would stop at nothing to save Mokuba; as much as I hated to see him gamble with his own life, I would do the same to save the precious boy I held in my arms.

"So what will it be, Seto Kaiba? Do you care enough about your brother's life to save his soul? Not that you really have a choice." Pegasus continued taunting Seto, and my jaw clenched in order to keep from shrieking in anger at the... Calling him a man was an insult to men everywhere, something that Seto apparently agreed with as he told Pegasus that he wasn't human. But Pegasus brushed off the insult and tossed some star chips at Seto's feet.

"Here, you'll need those for your duel with Yugi."

* * *

Pegasus smiled internally as he studied Seto Kaiba, could practically see the gears turning in his head as he struggled to understand what was happening. For such a genius, the boy had a lot to learn about how the real world works.

The real world... That was laughable. He, who possessed an item of unparalleled power actually entertaining the idea that the world could be anything remotely close to normal.

Ever since that fateful trip to Egypt, he'd discovered the truth; that there were powers in this world that could not be explained or quantified, only experienced. The moment the Millennium Eye had become his he'd seen the truth, that he could bring back his beloved Cecelia and keep her from death's embrace. But the magic of the Millennium Items alone wouldn't be enough; he needed the technology that Seto Kaiba so jealously guarded, and to get that he needed Kaiba Corp. at his disposal. Nothing, not even the Kaiba brothers would stand in his way; he would be reunited with his beloved, and soon.

Pegasus gave Seto a moment to realize that there was only one option available to him; follow the course that had been laid before him. It would have been much easier if his men had managed to kill Kaiba, but it was apparently difficult to hire competent men. However, Pegasus was intelligent enough to come up with a new plan once he'd foreseen that his original plan would fail... And how lucky it was that he now had another pawn to move across the board.

Glancing briefly into the cell, Pegasus bit back a smile; Reila, so proud, so stubborn. So loyal to those she deemed worthy. There was an air of maturity about her that far exceeded her age, and her eyes held such a look of disbelief...

No, wait; there was no disbelief, only rage and resignation. Pegasus's brow furrowed in confusion; she claimed she needed concrete proof, yet accepted this so easily? Even Kaiba was still struggling to accept the truth, but Reila studied Seto with a knowing look on her face, almost as though...

Almost as though she could see the future, knew what was happening before it happened.

His curiosity peeked, Pegasus used a little more magic, careful to keep the Eye hidden lest either of them know what he was doing, and turned the magic towards Reila, intent on reading her thoughts. He wanted, no needed to know if she had any way of ruining his plans.

Pegasus caught surface thoughts only; her mind was surprisingly resilient to his magic, normally using this amount of magic force he could delve deeply into someone's mind. But with Reila, all he got was surface thoughts. _I wish I could protect you both from this Seto forgive me for not being able to protect Mokuba how could I let this happen if I get a chance I will DESTROY HIM Mokuba please be alright your brother loves you I love you-_

Reila's eyes flashed in fresh anger as they turned to Pegasus, who barely suppressed the look of wonder on his face. She'd known he'd been reading her thoughts? Something in the air felt like a warning, a presence weighing heavily in the air that Pegasus couldn't identify. Turning his attention away from Reila and back to the elder Kaiba, Pegasus set aside the mystery of Reila for now.

He'd discover her secrets eventually. It was only a matter of time.

"For now, I have no choice but to play your game. But soon, soon I'll be back and you'd better make good on your promise to restore my brother – because if you don't I'll take great pleasure in seperating your soul from your body in my own way!" Kaiba had finally accepted the inevitable and Pegasus barely kept a satisfied grin off his face; everything was falling into place oh so nicely.

"Agreed. And as an added bonus, if you defeat Yugi and defeat me, Reila will be free to go with you as well. That is, if she's ready to leave my hospitality." Pegasus couldn't help laughing at the indignant fury that flashed on Reila's pretty face.

"Bastard, I'm not a prize to be won!" She snarled, never moving from the spot on the floor where she sat, holding the younger Kaiba's body protectively in her arms. It was actually admirable that even hurt, bruised and dirty she still could make lesser men quake in their boots. But Pegasus was no lesser man.

Seto glanced to her. "Reila, I'll defeat Yugi and Pegasus and get Mokuba restored. For now, take care of him and don't let anyone else near him."

Reila's eyes softened as she turned her gaze to Seto, and Pegasus watched the two interact with utter fascination. There was a deep bond there, and if he had to guess the soul that now sat in his pocket was the foundation for it. Reila nodded to Seto, wincing as she shifted and put weight on her ankle; well, that should teach the little girl to run away from a host.

"I'll look after him Seto. Just please... Be safe." Her voice was soft and pleading, and again Pegasus felt the desire to read her mind, know her thoughts and solve the puzzle of what secret she might hold, but he was already running low on magic; he needed to save what he had on the off chance that something drastic had to be done.

"Alright Kaiba boy, the deal is struck. Now you'd better hurry, from what I hear Yugi-boy already has the necessary ten star chips and will be here soon. Don't forget, your brother's soul hangs in the balance; lose to Yugi and you lose him forever."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N** : And here we are at chapter 8! This was one I was actually excited to write, and chapter 9 I'm excited to write too. I know it sounds weird, but I kind of enjoy putting Reila through the emotional ringer... It's character building :P

Just a little forewarning, the POV skips around a bit in this chapter. on one hand I felt it was necessary, on the other hand... I the future I don't plan on skipping around so many times if I can avoid it.

A big thanks to all who have liked/followed the story and read so far. And special shout outs to **Drachegirl14** , **lalalei** , **animagirl** , **guisniperman** , and **Rosezelene Ersa** for reviewing. You guys rock and your reviews made my week awesome.

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

* * *

Chapter 8

Seto growled beneath his breath as he surveyed the dueling field before him. He and Yugi stood atop the battlements of Pegasus's castle, and spread before them the hologram monsters of their respective decks stared one another down. His Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon was rotting away from Yugi's attack, combining his dragon with the Mammoth Graveyard. Yugi had managed to turn not only his dragon into a waste, but also to turn the weakest monster in Duel Monsters – Kuriboh – into a nearly impenetrable defense.

In another time, another place he would be applauding Yugi's ingenuity. But right now, it only served to force Seto into a corner.

He hated to lose under normal circumstances, a trait ingrained into him by Gozaburo Kaiba, his adoptive father. That man had taken great pleasure in making Seto suffer when he hadn't won, and eventually the need to win had become second nature. However, this time more than just his reputation was on the line; Mokuba's soul and Reila's well being were at stake. Pegasus had the upper hand so long as he had those two under his control, and the bastard knew it. Seto had to win this duel, to free the two of them and get them back where they would be safe from harm.

Briefly closing his eyes, the card that held Mokuba's soul flashed in his mind; the image on it showed that Mokuba had been terrified. His large eyes shone with fear, and the look of disbelief was almost too much to see. He saw Reila's face too, the look of horror and hatred as she glared at Pegasus while holding Mokuba close to her, tears staining her cheeks even as her eyes promised retribution. He couldn't let them down, he had to win no matter what.

As his dragon fired another Neutron Blast at the wall of Kuriboh, he felt a surge of emotion run through him; regret. He regretted leaving Mokuba alone and unprotected. He regretted not ensuring his company had loyal employees instead of the snakes who currently sat on his board of directors. He regretted that Reila had been dragged into this, all for trying to protect his brother; something that he hadn't done himself.

As his dragon continued to rot away, he realized something; he was the rotten one. He'd been thinking of only himself, his ego, his reputation. He'd allowed his brother and friend to be hurt because he hadn't been strong enough to overcome his defeat. He'd let them both down, but not only that; he'd broken his promise to Mokuba. He'd failed his little brother, but it wasn't too late to fix that.

As Yugi's Celtic Guardian destroyed one of the heads from his Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Seto pushed aside his guilt and regrets; he still had 400 life points, and the duel wasn't over. His dragon may not be able to attack, but...

"Yugi, it can't end this way. If I don't defeat you in this duel, Pegasus will keep Mokuba and Reila prisoner - forever. I can't let that happen, and even though I don't have a card that can keep you from attacking I think I have a strategy that will stop you in your tracks." Seto was taking a huge risk with this next move, but if there was one thing he knew about his opponent, it was that Yugi genuinely is a 'nice guy'. He didn't have what it took to annihilate his opponents, to leave them broken at his feet. Seto had been taught well, that defeat was the equivalent of death. He might be an exemplary duelist yes, but Yugi was not capable of harming others to get what he needed.

Well, either way this move would either give him victory, or the ultimate defeat. But he was willing to bet everything that Yugi wouldn't follow through with his attacks when faced with this choice.

"What do you mean?" Yugi asked, his brow furrowed in confusion as his eyes darted across the field, trying to figure out Seto's plan.

"I'm going to force your hand Yugi." As Yugi's friends speculated on the sidelines, he steadily stepped backward, never stopping until he'd positioned himself atop the very edge of the battlement, the wind whipping his coat around him.

"Kaiba! Stop this." Yugi said, looking disturbed as Seto stared him down calmly.

"Your move Yugi. You can attack my dragon and wipe out my remaining life points, but the resulting shock wave might cause me to lose my balance and fall."

"Don't tempt me!" Yugi actually looked scared, but was using anger to cover the emotion; a child's defense. He'd shown Seto that as much as he wanted to win, the idea of winning at the cost of bodily harming someone else sat ill with him.

"My fate is completely in your hands Yugi. You'll decide this duel one way or another; of course if you don't surrender I might be hurt. You wouldn't want that, would you?" Seto found that he was surprisingly calm, despite how much was hanging in the balance.

As the group on the sidelines chattered, Seto and Yugi stared one another down to see whose resolve would break first. But Seto wouldn't back down, couldn't back down. Whatever Yugi had ridding on his winning this tournament paled in comparison to Seto's owns reasons. He needed to free Mokuba and Reila, to get them to safety. And once he did, he would ever let anything happen to the two of them again.

"I'm warning you Kaiba; don't push me too far. I must win to rescue my grandfather." Yugi said, determination showing on his face. On one hand, Seto could understand the need to help family. On the other hand...

"And I must win this duel to rescue Mokuba and Reila; the difference is I'm willing to risk anything to do it." Something that Yugi wouldn't do. Seto was almost certain that Yugi would bow out, that he was just trying to save face in front of his friends by pretending to be tough. The kid had too soft of a heart to do what was necessary to win. "You know, I can stand up here all day Yugi; and I'm certain you won't make any attack for fear of knocking me off. Even though you know by not attacking, you give up the only chance you have to save your grandpa." Seto watched the clenching of Yugi's jaw and knew that he'd struck a chord with his statement before continuing. "Which means I have the upper hand over you; for in my case there's nothing holding me back."

Drawing his next card Seto actually felt a small wave of relief; things were looking up. "Ah, a magic card... Reborn the Monster, which I'll use to resurrect the Blue Eyes head that was just destroyed by your Guardian."

The play of fear, horror, and disbelief that played across Yugi's face might have given him a sick form of satisfaction at one time, but Seto didn't care about that right now. Right now, he could practically see Yugi's mental strength deteriorating. Seto's strategy hadn't just been to gamble with his life; it was to make Yugi see that the world wasn't as cut and dry as he wanted to believe. By shaking his faith in the way the world works, by showing him the truth of the world he'd shaken him, rocked the very foundations of his beliefs. And it was causing Yugi to second guess himself over and over again. Psychological warfare was one of the greatest tools someone could use against an opponent, and Seto wielded it with amazing precision. There were few who could match him when it came to using words as weapons.

"Surrender, Yugi! That is unless you have the courage to unleash your attack!" Seto waited, eyes fixed not on the monsters but on his opponent across the field.

"Kaiba, I've never backed away and I'm not starting now! Celtic Guardian, attack!" Yugi sent his monster forward, sword held high.

The next few moments happened in slow motion.

Yugi's friend, the brunette who Seto couldn't recall the name of, ran towards Yugi pleading with him to call off the attack. Yugi seemed frozen in shock, his Guardian moving ever closer while Seto's Blue Eyes roared in defiance. Seto didn't so much as flinch, and kept his composure even as Yugi called off the attack.

"Couldn't do it, huh?" Seto said calmly, stepping off the ledge. With one final command to his dragon Yugi's Guardian was destroyed, and the victory was his. Now he only needed to defeat Pegasus, and he could finally get Mokuba and Reila out of that madman's clutches.

* * *

I don't know how much time had passed since Seto had left to confront Yugi. I was never in the habit of wearing a watch, which was both a blessing and a curse now. And since dungeon cells notoriously lack windows, I had nothing but my own heartbeat to judge how much time had gone by... And I was doing a poor job of keeping track of it.

I'd managed to pull Mokuba into my lap and sit myself against the wall, listening to the flames in the hallway sconces sputter occasionally. Aside from Mokuba's steady breathing and me singing softly under my breath, it was the only noise I could hear. I sang not only to keep the silence at bay, but also on the chance that Mokuba might be able to hear me. I don't know how the whole soul-being-sealed-away thing works, but if there was a chance that Mokuba could hear me then I wanted to try and comfort him; but I was running out of songs.

Sighing I shifted Mokuba a little to get some feeling back into my legs. Not that Mokuba is heavy, but I'm not used to long periods of sitting around. Normally I'm always on the move, going to and from meeting, events, or various projects. This forced inactivity is beginning to grate on my nerves; the worst part of being the "damsel in distress" is the waiting. It really ate away at me that I was now entirely reliant on other people to save me, something that I never wanted to experience again. I crave control over my own life, over myself and any situation I'm in. Yes, I admit I'm kind of a control freak – but after being murdered then orphaned at such a young age I think I have the right to control my own life.

Hearing footsteps heading closer to the cell I rubbed my eyes and slapped my cheeks a little to wake myself up. Despite being thoroughly exhausted I hadn't let myself sleep for fear that Mokuba wouldn't be here when I woke up. Additionally, I didn't trust any of the guards here to not be a complete sleaze and attempt something inappropriate with me. But my main concern was that Mokuba would eventually be moved to a hidden cell somewhere in the castle. I remember Tristan leaving during Yugi's duel with Pegasus to find him and take him to safety, but Bakura was loose and roaming the island; with Mokuba's soul currently not in residence, I didn't want to run the risk of Bakura getting hold of my friend's body. So if I had it my way, I'd be staying right by Mokuba's side until his soul is returned.

Besides, I made a promise to Seto.

Kemo and another guard came into view, stopping just outside the door. The one whose name I didn't know appearing completely stoic and unreadable. Kemo on the other hand had another leering grin on his face as he looked in; I'm beginning to think that he's either enjoying seeing me knocked down a few pegs or he has a fetish for bruised, dirty hostages. That thought made me shudder as I eyed him warily. Unlocking the cell and both men entered, moving to stand before me.

"Master Pegasus has requested your presence. Seto Kaiba managed to secure the right to challenge him and as a reminder of what's at stake you're to attend the duel as an honored guest." Kemo said, stretching out a hand to take Mokuba off my lap.

Kemo's words sparked another memory; Seto standing on the edge of a ledge, daring Yugi to attack while knowing the shock might knock him over the ledge and kill him. I'd completely forgotten that Seto had gambled with his life like that. Despite the circumstances, despite the fact that I knew he was okay, that thought sent my temper skyrocketing.

Oh. Hell. NO.

Snarling I lashed out, swiping my nails across Kemo's outstretched hand and almost grinning at the cry of surprise as I saw blood welling up from the marks. Kemo backed off as the other guard came forward, but I'd managed to shift Mokuba off my lap enough to use my good leg to kick out, hooking my foot around his ankle and pulling back quickly. He fell to the ground with a satisfying grunt, and I swiped again at Kemo as he came closer.

They weren't taking me from Mokuba's side without a fight.

Kemo swore as I drew more blood, and the two eyed my warily from a distance. I knew that I couldn't keep this up, I had surprised them and that was the only reason I was even able to keep them at bay to begin with. But now they were studying me, watching my every move and continuing to fight them wouldn't work. But my anger was rolling through me in harsh waves, a combination of anger over every little thing that had happened to me, Mokuba, and Seto in this life. It clouded my judgment, so although logically I knew that continuing to fight was futile my adrenaline was hyping me up and a fight sounded good.

Kemo lunged forward, and as I reached out to get him with another swipe of my nails I realized that it was a feint; the other guard seemed to pop up behind me, slipping his arms beneath, then around mine and holding them in a lock as I struggled to get out of his hold. But he had me pinned fairly well, and any movements caused pain in my shoulders. Huffing angrily I narrowed my eyes at Kemo. "You can tell Pegasus that I decline his invitation; I won't be used to intimidate Seto!"

Kemo flexed his hands as he checked over the scratches I'd given him; one was actually pretty deep, and I felt a sick satisfaction at the sight of it. He looked up at me, lip curled into a sneer as he came forward, not saying a word.

"I told you, go tell Pegasus-"

My cheek exploded in pain as Kemo backhanded me, my head snapping to the side. I was momentarily stunned by the force and the pain; being smacked by a child was one thing, but this was on a completely different level. I turned my head to look at him slowly, tasting blood; a quick check with my tongue and I felt the split in my lip and the blood running down my chin. Oh he'd pay for that one, I wouldn't rest until I'd gotten him back for this.

"You'll come with us, and for every attempt on your part to escape you'll get hit again. I work for Master Pegasus, not you. And you'd do well to learn that you're completely at his mercy and you have no power here." Kemo snarled, and I actually felt a twinge of fear at his words. Pegasus hadn't revealed what my part in this was, or what plans he had for me and until I knew what he had planned I had to be cautious. Too bad my temper had gotten the best of me before that little reminder had sounded in my head.

Kemo grabbed one of my arms in a bruising grip, the other guard moved to my other arm and took hold of my arm as well, albeit not quit as harshly. Seems he wasn't quite as upset with me for fighting back as Kemo was, or he was just a genuinely nicer guy. Hard to imagine such a person existing in Pegasus's employment.

Although my ankle had gotten a little better, it was still too swollen, too bruised, and too unstable to support any weight at all. Luckily, the nicer guard was on that side of me and seemed to notice the problem, for he took my arm and placed it on his in a way that I could support my weight on his arm like a crutch. I gave him a brief look of thanks as we made our way slowly to the arena where Seto and Pegasus were. When we reached the stairs, I gave Kemo an arch look. "Well Mr. Brilliant, what plan do you have for this?" The three of us couldn't all fit at the same time, and I couldn't make it up the stairs by myself.

Growling he moved to raise his hand, but I backed up into the other guard quickly and almost put weight on my bad ankle before the he caught me. Sending a warning look to Kemo he bent and picked me up, taking care not to jostle my ankle too much. His kindness was touching and as he walked up the stairs, Kemo trailing a little behind I studied his face. He looked to be in his thirties, with black hair and green-gray eyes; he wasn't remarkably handsome, but there was a kindness in his face that I hadn't seen before. "Thank you." I said quietly, touched by his attentiveness.

"Please don't try to fight anymore Ms. Sarota." He said, and his voice was calming, even nice sounding. Then again, next to Kemo a troll would be nice sounding and kind in comparison. I looked away and didn't say anything, because I couldn't promise that I wouldn't try to fight and didn't want to lie to him. I'm alright with lying to get what I need, but lying to a genuinely nice person sits ill with me. Half-truths are different than lies though... Or so I told myself, remembering the half-truth I had told Mokuba.

At the top of the stairs Kemo joined us and took hold on my arm again once I was standing, and we resumed our journey. The closer we got, the more heavy the feeling in the air became; Pegasus was using his Millennium Eye. If this experience was going to happen every time I encountered a Millennium Item, I was in trouble; unless repeated exposure could lessen the effect? Either way, I was surprised to discover that each Millennium Item had a distinct feeling to it. Yugi's Puzzle had been powerful, but there had been undercurrents of benevolence and compassion mixed with determination and... Almost like an unwavering sense of right and wrong. It was hard to put into words, but it was an energizing, encouraging feeling despite how heavily it weighed on me.

Pegasus's Millennium Eye... The feeling was different. There was power yes, but there was... Loss, suspicion, a tangible grief and determination to it. It wasn't evil per se, but didn't feel the same as the Puzzle. I wondered if others could sense the presence of the Items as well, and if so why didn't they ever show it? And if I was the only one, was it because my soul wasn't from this world? And could the current wielder of an Item change the feel of it's energy permanently, or was it a temporary fluctuation based on the wielder's emotional state?

I didn't even notice when a set of double doors were opened and I was led onto a balcony, wrapped up in my thoughts as I was. But Kemo shoved me forward, causing me to stumble and accidentally place weight on my ankle, a short cry escaping me as I steadied myself on the banister in front of me. Hearing a series of gasps I lifted my head, seeing Yugi and his friends directly across from me on another balcony. Their eyes were wide with shock and I briefly wondered how I must look to them; split lip, blood on my chin, dark circles under my eyes... Yeah I looked like hell. Hastily wiping my chin I looked down, not wanting to dwell on them or their opinions.

My stomach dropped as I took in the scene; Pegasus and Seto were dueling, and Seto was currently losing.

* * *

Yugi felt his jaw drop at the sight of Reila across the playing field; he remembered seeing her at his school the one time she'd appeared there, and she'd been stunning to look at. Something about her called out for others to take notice, like she was some sort of beacon. She'd walked with confidence and carried herself with an unmistakable grace. But now...

She looked tired, pushed to the limits. Her skin had an almost waxy, sickly look to it; her hair was lank, her clothing fit badly, and the split on her lip was causing it to swell even as she angrily wiped at the remaining blood on her chin. But even so, she still had a grace and power to her that made Yugi wary, on guard as though waiting for her to attack.

He'd noticed it before, when he'd briefly seen her at school; something about her put him on edge. It wasn't that she'd been cruel – in fact she seemed kinder than Kaiba – but there was something unnatural about her. He'd noticed it again during his first duel with Kaiba too, the barely perceptible aura that seemed to resonate from within her. She'd seemed physically effected by the duel, and thinking back she had seemed to... To know that there was something more to the duel. She hadn't seemed phased when Seto had fallen to his knees after the spirit of the Puzzle had banished the darkness from Kaiba's heart, and in fact had seemed to have a grateful look on her face when she'd finally looked Yugi's way.

Just what did Reila know? And where had she gotten the knowledge?

"Reila, what happened?" Kaiba eyed her swollen lip, the way she held herself up using the banister in front of her, the dark circles under her eyes and his brows furrowed as anger and concern warred on his face. He even turned away from the duel before him, taking in her features with a sharp eye, his frown deepening as his eyes lingered on the redness of her one cheek.

Yugi thought back to Tea's accusation that Kaiba didn't have a heart. Yes her comment had been laced with anger, but Yugi saw the truth on Kaiba's face; his brother and Reila were what he had at the end of the day. He might have a hard time knowing how to interact with others, but those two were held close to his heart. He cared about them both, and the affection he held for his little brother and the friendship between him and Reila were what had led him to risk everything during their duel.

If Kaiba had known how badly Reila was being treated, coupled with Mokuba's soul being taken it would have definitely spurred his need to win, something that Yugi could sympathize with. His grandfather's soul had been taken, but physically he was safe – which was more than anyone could say for Reila.

Reila shook her head in response to Kaiba's question. "Never mind me Seto; I'll be fine. Just take down that snake so we can get out of here." Yugi had to admire her courage, most girls wouldn't take being treated so harshly lightly. Her strange eyes fixed a harsh glare on Pegasus, and Yugi winced at the sight. How Pegasus could so flippantly brush off such a murderous look was something he couldn't understand.

"Come now little Reila, there's no need for name calling. You have no one to blame for your current state but yourself. Really who knew that such a temper lay hidden beneath that finely crafted image you show the public?" Pegasus had a smug smile on his face, and Yugi wondered what the girl had done to warrant such cruel behavior from him – or if Pegasus was just a sadist.

Reila's response was another murderous glare.

Yugi studied Kaiba carefully as his demeanor became even more determined and he drew another card, placing a monster card face down in defense mode. He was playing it safe after losing one of his Blue Eyes White Dragons, trying to find a way around the power of the Millennium Eye. But Yugi feared that this wouldn't end well and that Pegasus would triumph, despite Kaiba's dueling skills.

And then Mokuba, Seto, and Reila would be at his mercy.

* * *

"Tell me something my old friend, did you like watching cartoons in your youth?"

I rolled my eyes at Pegasus's question to Seto. Of course he wouldn't have had time to watch cartoons in his youth; at the orphanage we had been limited to one hour of television a day, and I highly doubted that Gozaburo had allowed cartoons in the house at all. My uncle had allowed a set amount of time for television in our house, but Hojo and I had never bothered to watch anything childish; we both had a love for anime yes, but never the childish ones. We preferred the darker, more mature ones with deep plots and deeper characters.

I doubt Seto had that luxury as a child, and now he barely had time to do anything but work.

At Seto's blank stare Pegasus frowned. "Is that a no? Kaiba you're even more cold-hearted than I thought. For me, they were the absolute best - and none were closer to my heart than the misadventures of one tricky hare. I am speaking of course of Funny Bunny, such a clever rabbit forever evading Ruff Ruff McDog and his long paw of the law. Oh how I'd spend hours watching their never ending antics and perpetual game of hide and seek!"

"Just make your move!"

I could have kissed Seto for interrupting Pegasus's little speech, I really could have. Listening to a grown man speak so fondly of a cartoon rabbit was... Disturbing to say the least. And coming from someone who is a self-proclaimed fangirl, that's saying a lot.

Pegasus chuckled darkly. "But Kaiba, that is my move."

A sinking feeling started in the pit of my stomach; Pegasus was about to play the Toon World card. And with that card his monsters would be protected, hidden in the creepy pop-up book and out of range from Kaiba's monsters. A trickle of fear went down my spine; it was one thing to know that Seto would ultimately lose the duel, it was another thing entirely to _see_ him lose the duel.

And ultimately his soul.

Gripping the banister tightly my eyes darted across the field, trying to think of a way to help Seto get the upper hand and win. Yes, Yugi was supposed to ultimately prevail, but if Seto could win here and now then we could find a way to get Yugi's grandfather out of danger. The Millennium Puzzle might have the ability to reach into whatever realm Pegasus had placed the soul into and set everything right, but I wasn't one hundred percent sure about it. It's not to say that I don't care what happens to anyone else, but my first priority is to my friends. If only I could remember what tactic Yugi used to get around the Toon World card...

Closing my eyes tightly, I racked my brain trying to remember the strategy Yugi had used, but I was drawing a complete blank. Nothing except the mind-switching technique was coming to me, and Seto didn't have that option; besides it had taken a heavy toll on Yugi's mind once they entered the Shadow Realm, which I was almost certain Pegasus wouldn't invoke during his duel with Seto.

Still, there had to be a way...

* * *

 _There has to be a way for Seto to overcome the Millennium Eye..._

Pegasus had been so fixated on toying with Kaiba that he almost missed the stray thought from Reila's mind. Looking up to her, he took in her pained expression as she viewed the playing field; she was an enigma, one moment haughty the next showing her fear plain as day. But how did she know about the powers of the Millennium Eye? Thinking back, she'd shown no shock when he'd taken Mokuba's soul, not like Kaiba had. It was almost as though she'd known it was coming. What knowledge did she have hidden inside that pretty head of hers?

Focusing his Eye on her, he used more magic than he had the last time he tried to probe her mind; obviously her mind was harder to enter than others, something that he marveled at. She seemed so ordinary, yet within her he sensed a wisdom that was older than her years. Did she hold knowledge of the Millennium Items? If she did, that knowledge could prove invaluable to him and his desire to resurrect Cecelia.

He pushed past the first layer of her mind, the surface thoughts that prattled around with increasing frequency. He pushed past her fear, her grief and anger, delving faster and faster into the core of her mind. There all her secrets would be laid bare before him, and he could pick out what he needed now and sift through the rest later.

Each mind that he'd delved into reflected the body and soul that it inhabited; Yugi's grandfather had been an airy room, full of older games, with paintings marking specific memories he held dear. Mokuba's had been more childlike, almost chaotic in a sense with no real discipline to it yet, a reflection of his room and memories haphazardly thrown around. But Reila's...

Reila's mind was large, immensely so. With his Millennium Eye he could see a clear blue sky, a stretch of glittering white sands meeting a deep blue ocean. Situated on the very edge of the beach stood an impressive white marble temple glittering in the sunlight. Golden domes and torches dotted the exterior, and the architecture was one he'd never seen before. Smiling to himself he pushed forward, racing to the temple that he was sure held her deepest, most intimate thoughts in the shadowy interior.

The ocean churned violently, a dark shadow making it's way swiftly to the surface. Before he could blink Pegasus found himself face to face with an enormous dragon, it's red eyes gleaming maliciously as it stared him down. His sapphire blue scales glinted from the water streaming down it's body, and it's golden armor glittered in a macabre show of beauty. It's tail lashed out, stopping just before Pegasus's face as the dragon's voice rumbled through the mindscape, it's blood colored eyes narrowed in anger. Pegasus eyed the sharp point of the golden armor that never wavered in front of him, showing the dragon's precision and deadly intent.

" _You will leave this sacred place and bring no harm to my priestess. BEGONE!"_ The last word was punctuated by a fierce roar, the likes of which Pegasus had never heard. It sent a jolt of pure fear down his spine as he pulled back his magic quickly, returning it to himself even as the roar echoed in his mind. He'd never encountered something so fierce, so foreboding as that dragon. Just what did Reila hide within her? What spells or knowledge did she possess that such a creature would guard her so fiercely?

Taking a shaking breath he glanced up at Reila, who appeared dazed from the confrontation within her. But her face didn't hold any fear; it was almost calm, despite what he'd witnessed within her mind. She looked down at Pegasus with absolute composure, even as she eyed his shaking hands as he pressed one to his Millennium Eye. Her shoulders weren't so tense, as if a burden had been lifted from them and she stood straighter, prouder.

"Who... Who are you?" He said quietly, trying to shake off the feeling that he'd made a grave mistake.

* * *

Staring down at Pegasus, I raised an eyebrow slowly. He was muttering under his breath, clearly shaken by whatever it is he witnessed in my mind. I had felt the intrusion into my mind just as I had the first time, only more intense this time; I'd had a moment there where I seriously feared that Pegasus had succeeded and gotten my knowledge of the future. Yet now I had no fear of Pegasus having taken anything but my surface thoughts; I'd felt a presence rise from within me, with all the subtlety of a Mack truck and blast him out of my mind. Whatever he had seen had left him visibly rattled, and knowing that my thoughts and the knowledge I held of the future was safe for now was a welcome stroke of luck.

Thank whatever deity is out there for that small favor.

It felt good to be back in control for a moment, to not be weighed down with worry and fear. But it wouldn't last, Pegasus was already shaking off his fear from whatever he had confronted in my mind and turning his attention back to his duel with Seto. I almost wish that he would focus on me more than Seto, but he'd apparently pushed me aside to focus on someone who didn't have a force to stop his schemes within them. Growling beneath my breath, I could do nothing but watch helplessly and pray that whatever luck had been given to me could be given to Seto in return.

As the duel continued, I saw Yugi staring at me curiously. Given that I was calmer now from the relief of having somehow thwarted Pegasus's Millennium Eye, I did nothing but raise an eyebrow and return his curious gaze. Seeing that I'd noticed him, he gave me a sheepish smile as an apology, which I returned with a shrug of my shoulder. I could see the questions on his face, but didn't have the time nor energy to be interrogated, even in a nonverbal fashion. It would seem that the wielders of the Millennium Items knew that there was something different about me, which made me worry about what would happen during the Battle City tournament.

Maybe I would need to take an extended vacation during that time; I have a general rule about avoiding deranged psychopaths and avoiding Yami Marik sounds like a fantastic idea.

Returning my focus to the duel, I cheered as Seto managed to chain the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon with his Shadow Spell card. The toon version of the Blue Eyes was just plain creepy to look at, and as intimidating as the real thing was, I'd take that over the toon version any day. Eyeing the true Blue Eyes on the field, I wondered at the fact that I wasn't as physically effected by this duel as I had been when Seto dueled Yugi. I could feel the presence of the Eye, and even the presence of the Puzzle from across the room both pressing on me, but not nearly as heavily. Maybe prolonged exposure to the presence of the items was the answer? Or perhaps it was because there wasn't a Shadow Duel going on. But then again, the spirit of the Puzzle hadn't used his shadow magic until the very end of their duel... If my reaction the first time had been to being unaccustomed to the magic from a Millennium Item that would make sense.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts I almost missed seeing Seto destroy the chained Toon Dragon. But even as a warped toon, it must have hurt to destroy a monster that was so precious to him. And Pegasus's mocking wasn't helping matters at all; if I had a shoe I would throw it at him. What was it about this guy that drove me to violence?

The duel continued, with Seto losing his other Blue Eyes to Pegasus's Dragon Capture Jar, and then being infected by his own Crush Card. Whatever had helped me just moments ago was of no use to Seto, and events were unfolding too fast for me to remember and warn Seto. As Seto used Reborn the Monster to bring back his Sagi the Dark Clown, Pegasus sneered.

"It's your last move and you're going to spend it reviving a clown? Oh yes that's right Kaiba; he's the best you can do with my virus still about. Shame when you consider all that's on the line."

"Mokuba... Reila... I tried my very best." Seto looked up to me as he swallowed hard, shame creeping onto his face. Tears filled my eyes as I tried to give him a reassuring smile; tried to let him know that it would be alright, but I could see that he'd already accepted defeat.

"Seto..." What had he done to deserve this?! Pegasus might claim that his scheme was fueled by his love for his deceased wife, but if this was the price of loving someone so much then what good was it? The dead remained dead no matter what, and no amount of technology or magic could change that. My hands clenched into fists, my nails biting into my palms... All this pain, hurting so many people just for his own selfish reasons! As Pegasus mocked and belittled Seto, telling him his best hadn't been good enough I wanted to scream; those words were something Gozaburo would have said, and would push Seto right back to where he'd been in the past, that dark place where he still harbored hatred for the man.

Feeling the magic from the Eye increasing, my eyes snapped open just as it began gleaming. Without thinking I snatched a vase that was within range and moved to throw it, to distract Pegasus and maybe save Seto; but Kemo appeared behind me and wrapped his arms around mine, causing the vase to fall and shatter as the heaviness in the air increased. Bucking in Kemo's grip I tried to get free, but not even clawing his arm did any good. Turning my head I saw the wide eyed shock on Seto's face, heard his cry of shock.

"SETO!"

* * *

Pegasus laughed at his triumph, ignoring Reila's scream above him. He now had both Kaiba brothers at his disposal, and he was ever closer to his ultimate goal; to have his beloved Cecelia back again. "Take away that empty shell; teach it to wash dishes or something." His men moved to comply, and he turned to face Reila, her face red from fighting against Kemo's grip and her black eyes full of fury.

"Little Reila, so full of spunk and secrets. But no matter; you're only hope at being freed just lost. You must be so disappointed in him." His words sparked even more anger and he laughed at the glower she sent his way. She really was like a little kitten, all claws and teeth but no real power behind her... Except that presence in her mind.

"Now that Kaiba has been taken care of, I really don't have anymore use for you... Well, for your soul that is; all I need is your body. Once my tournament is over, your soul will join your friends in my collection, and through you I'll take control of Sarota Entertainment. Yet another company to add to my empire; I seem to be getting quite a large one."

Reila – literally – spat in his direction, bringing a frown to Pegasus's face; he detested bad manners.

"If you think for one second you'll get my soul without a fight, you're wrong; I'LL KILL YOU FIRST!" She renewed her struggling, managing to get one arm free and landing her elbow in a heavy blow against Kemo's nose, but the man kept his grip, getting her back under control.

Pegasus laughed at her words. "If I had a dollar for every time someone threatened my life I'd be even richer than I am now. However, don't think that I'm completely without a heart; I know that you'll miss your beloved friends, which is why I'm going to let the three of you live out your lives together; sans souls, of course." Reila glowered at him, trying to make sense of his words. "You see I know all about the corporate bylaws that prevent you from inheriting Sarota Entertainment, and that's why in a year you'll be formally engaged to Kaiba – or the shell of him at least." And with that engagement and subsequent wedding, Kaiba Corp. along with Industrial Illusions could pressure Sarota's board into electing Pegasus CEO, through Reila of course. More money at his disposal to use in reviving Cecelia was not something that Pegasus could pass up.

Reila's face morphed into a look of disbelief as Kemo bodily picked her up. Pegasus looked to his henchman with a satisfied smile; he'd shocked her into silence. "Kemo, take her to Kaiba's cell; I think the two of them need some quality time, and Reila needs time to adjust to her future." Pegasus also needed time, time to build up magic and research spells to overcome the presence in her mind. He couldn't take her soul so long as that dragon was within her, but for now she could be kept out of the way.

He would have Cecelia back soon, and then all would be right.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: OMG you guys are the absolute best. I love that so many people are speculating about what's to come – it shows me that you are all enjoying the story. Thanks so much for making my day! Although it's tempting to spill the beans and tell you all what's going to happen, I'm a little evil and want to build up as much suspense as possible, so forgive me for not answering all your questions right away.

This week has been... Fun. Dealing with insurance companies, trying to set up doctor's appointments, juggling work, writing, and trying to have some semblance of a social life. Oh, and the cherry on the cake was being yelled at and threatened by a resident while at work. Needless to say I'm ready to turn in my adult card and go back to my blanket fort and coloring books. But enough of my whining.

Originally this chapter was supposed to include another song, but... Too. Much. Trouble. Trying to find a song that fit the situation just right was impossible so I decided to skip it. Instead, we get Reila really interacting with Yugi for the first time. So, yay on that note! Also if there are any mistakes with spelling or grammar I beg for understanding; I was up until 5 this morning taking my aunt, uncle, and youngest cousin to the airport.

A big shout out to **Drachegirl14** , **guisniperman** , **lalalei** , **Rosezelena Ersa** , **animagirl** , and the anonymous **Guest** for reviewing. You guys are the absolute best!

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

* * *

Chapter 9

I fought and struggled the entire trip back down to the dungeon, but Kemo had an iron grip on me and no matter how I twisted and turned, he wasn't giving an inch. Swallowing thickly I winced at the soreness in my throat; my screaming at Pegasus had really done a number on myself, and I'd kill for some tea with honey to soothe the agitation.

Oh who am I kidding, I'd kill for a lot right now. Never knew so much violence dwelt within me until this little misadventure.

When we reached the cell I saw Seto propped against the wall, staring blankly ahead of him into the darkened hall. They hadn't bothered to shackle him; without his soul he was harmless and wouldn't try to escape since none but Pegasus could control his movements. The sight of him so docile and emotionless sent a sharp pain through my chest. Seto was normally so full of energy, carried such a presence around him that it was hard to see him basically lifeless like he was now. While others might not be able to understand his emotions or be able to read them, I could and the lack of them now hurt me far worse than anything Pegasus or Kemo could do to me.

Once I was locked back in the cell – I didn't even try to fight at this point, I was emotionally and physically drained from everything – I crossed the room slowly to sink down on the cold stones beside Seto. Turning to face him, my emotions ran through the gamut from anger to sadness, doubling back to frustration before plummeting into self-pity. I hadn't been strong enough physically, mentally, or otherwise to prevent this. Two of the people I held closest to my heart had been hurt and I hadn't been able to do _anything_ to prevent it.

Sighing I reached out a hand and brushed a stray piece of hair from Seto's eyes. "Seto, I'm so sorry I couldn't help you. I'm sorry that I've only been a burden to you throughout this entire ordeal; I should have gotten to Mokuba sooner, should have fought harder. And I'm sorry I couldn't help you defeat Pegasus; I know you tried your best." I didn't expect any response from Seto, and I didn't receive any but it made me feel a tiny bit better to say it out loud.

Setting my hand in my lap I went over what I remembered would happen; now that I felt reasonably confident Pegasus couldn't get into my mind I felt more at ease trying to map out the plot in my head. Tonight there would be no more duels; I was beginning to suspect Pegasus needed time to recharge between uses of his Eye, since he never seemed to do more than one big show of power a day and if he tried to invoke a Shadow Game now it might drain him of too much – which would be such a tragedy let me tell you. What would happen to him if he pushed himself too far? That was a question for later and I tossed it aside. Tonight Yugi was supposed to have a dream – or nightmare, depending on how you looked at it – and be visited by his grandfather's "spirit", as well as those of Mokuba and Seto. Then tomorrow he would face Mai, defeat her, then face Joey after Bandit Keith gets caught cheating. After his win against Joey, he'd face Pegasus and ultimately win... That is, if he can learn to trust in the spirit of the Puzzle. Why couldn't I remember his name? The spirit's name had been such a huge thing, a major plot point that was only revealed during the final arc and yet I couldn't remember it at all. Which in a way was good, I suppose. It saved me from accidentally blabbing it out before he was ready to remember his past life.

"If only I could find a way to communicate with him..." I mumbled under my breath. Leaving everything up to Yugi sat badly with me, especially when the reason he was able to triumph in the show was because of the trust he showed the spirit of the Puzzle. If I could bribe someone to get a message to him, I might feel a little better but since no guards were around...

 _ **I can help you with that.**_

I jumped at the sudden voice ringing out and looked around, eyeing Seto beside me. The voice hadn't sounded like him at all. It had sounded... Ancient, a lilting voice laced with the slightest hint of aggression. Eyeing the shadows cautiously, I stretched an arm out in front of Seto in a protective stance. "Who... Who's there? Where are you?"

 _ **Nowhere you can see young one. You felt my presence earlier, did you not?**_

I thought for a moment but could only come up with one answer; the presence in my mind. I hadn't heard him speak before, but now that I concentrated it felt the same as before. Still, if I'd learned anything in my two lives it was to not blindly trust random voices popping into my head – well, this has never really happened before so more like never trust anyone who offers help randomly. "How come I've never noticed your presence before?"

 _ **So long as you were not in immediate danger I have laid dormant in your subconscious. You don't have to speak aloud; if you call for me I will be able to answer your thoughts here in the safety of your mind.**_

Yeah because that made me really comfortable. "Thanks but I'd rather speak aloud for right now."

 _ **Ah yes, your hatred of silence. As you wish.**_

"Okay, a little creeped out that you know so much about me and I don't even know who you are or – more importantly – WHAT you are." I said, scowling at thin air. I felt more than heard the rumble of laughter, and it was such an odd sensation that it made me shiver. "And don't laugh, that feels wrong on so many levels."

 _ **You are not yet ready to know what I am. When you are ready you shall know my true name. For the time being you may call me Ydor. I mean you no harm; in fact I am here to protect you until you have fulfilled your part in this story. None shall enter your mind without your consent, and I shall teach you what you need to know in order to survive.**_

"Thanks but I'd rather not rely on anyone other than myself for my survival; I'm sure that I can figure something out." Something about his voice was... Trustworthy. Almost like I'd heard his voice before, although I know for a fact that I never had. "Are you some kind of spirit? Because last time I checked I don't have a Millennium Item and-"

 _ **Do not speak to me of those horrid objects.**_ I could feel his anger radiating through me and clamped down a sarcastic remark about feeling things in my body. Probably best to not piss off the unknown presence inside me. _**Those who made them knew not what they would unleash upon the world; arrogance, the downfall of all great peoples ran thickly through their veins when they sought to control such magic. You may call me a spirit if that eases your mind, however I shall not tolerate being likened to such blasphemous objects as those Egyptian scraps of metal.**_

"And apparently I struck a nerve. I'll keep that in mind for the future." Apparently Ydor had a serious problem with the Items; which I could sort of agree with, they seemed way too dangerous to just go handing out at random. "Wait if you have such a problem with the Items then why offer to help me talk to Yugi? Because I need to get him to trust the spirit that dwells within his Puzzle or else I'll end up a soulless doll."

 _ **Firstly I would not allow that to happen; but the answer to your question is simple. I have seen your memories and know that the boy and the spirit of the Puzzle are destined for great things. If you can keep things from going astray, together they will right the wrongs of millennia ago. So long as you have faith in his ability to be victorious I will offer what assistance I can.**_

"That's... Awfully generous of you." I said, biting my lip in contemplation. On one hand, if I could get a message to Yugi it would set my mind at ease. On the other... I would be blindly trusting whoever was inside me. How could I know if this was a nice whatever or something that would end up hurting me?

 _ **I should point out that this very argument you are having with yourself is one that the boy Yugi is most likely having with himself at this very moment, if your memories are anything to go by.**_ Ydor's voice had a dryness to it that I almost envied. _**Trust me or do not, it does not affect me either way. However I would offer you a question to contemplate; if you cannot learn to trust that which resides within you, how can you ask the boy to do the same?**_

That... Was a very valid point. How could I rightly insist Yugi trust the spirit of the Puzzle if I couldn't take that leap of faith myself? Lead by example, right? But I still had reservations; the Puzzle's spirit was the only one that I remembered being kind and not a complete sociopath, but then again I don't recall anyone named Ydor from the canon story either. Given that my presence here was a new addition, it was possible for there to be more additions that I couldn't account for. And that opened a whole new world of terrifying possibilities, but I shoved those thoughts aside for now. One crisis at a time was all I could handle at the moment.

Taking a deep breath, I sent a quick glance to Seto; if he could risk it all for Mokuba and I in his duel with Yugi, then I could do no less to make sure that things went smoothly in them having their souls returned to them.

"Alright Ydor, let's teach me how to talk to someone in a dream."

 _ **As you wish.**_

* * *

"Grandpa, tell me how Pegasus's Shadow Magic can still be growing in power." Yugi clutched the card containing his grandfather's soul tightly, never wanting to let go. He'd followed the card out into the courtyard, but he needed more information if he was going to be able to defeat Pegasus and return everyone's souls to where they belonged.

"Every soul he traps in the Shadow Realm increases his strength."

Yugi punched a fist onto the ground, gritting his teeth. Already Pegasus had trapped three souls that he knew of; and earlier that day he'd made it clear that he had plans to trap Reila's soul as well. The more souls he trapped, the more powerful he would become and the greater a threat to the world he would be. "He's got to be stopped!"

The card holding his grandfather's soul floated out of his hands, and Yugi chased him to a dark hill where the card rested on a large stone tablet. Looking around, he saw both Kaiba and Mokuba's souls on similar tablets, calling out for him to save them. As the conversation with his grandfather continued, white flames appeared in a ring around the bases of the tablets, and Yugi took an step back as he shielded his eyes. "Grandpa!"

"Yugi, you know what you have to do."A feminine voice sounded from his right, confusing him for a moment as no one else had been there moments ago.

Yugi turned, and took a step back as he saw Reila standing beside him, calmly watching the flames. She looked just like she had the first time he saw her; not bruised and battered, but healthy and full of that confidence that normally enveloped her like armor. Turning she faced him, and he saw some unknown emotion flicker in her eyes.

"Reila? What are you doing here?" Yugi asked, frowning in confusion.

"You're a smart kid Yugi, I'm sure you can figure it out." Reila said, placing a hand on her hip with an exasperated look.

Yugi thought carefully, looking from Reila to the flames and back to her again. There was no way, given her threat to kill Pegasus earlier that she would be so calm about Kaiba and Mokuba's souls being in danger. Unless... "This is a dream."

"Bingo, give the boy a prize." Reila smiled, folding her arms across her chest. "Tell me Yugi, what do you think your grandfather meant by unlocking the power of the Millennium Puzzle?"

Yugi thought it over as he looked to the flames where his grandfather's soul had just been; he'd felt the presence inside the Puzzle the very first day he'd pieced it together. Ancient and powerful, it had never bothered him; until his duel with Kaiba, when the spirit had been ready to do whatever, hurt whomever to achieve victory. "The spirit... Inside the puzzle is the real power." He looked to Reila, but she said nothing, just studied his face as he continued. "To unlock the power, I have to trust in him... But how can I when he was ready to hurt someone else? When he was ready to take the risk of pushing Kaiba off the top of the castle to win?"

"Isn't that what you wanted though?" Reila asked, and Yugi looked up in shock; he would never hurt someone like that! "You're a sweet kid Yugi, but that duel was a matter of life and death – in a sense. Yes Seto was dueling for his brother's soul and my freedom, but you also have the well-being of someone you care about riding on your continuing victories. You couldn't live with yourself if your grandfather's soul had been won back by hurting someone; seems to me the spirit was willing to take that burden for you."

Yugi blinked in confusion. Had that... Truly been the spirit's intent? To protect him from the burden of harming someone else? "But the burden still would have still been there, because I didn't stop it!"

Reila shrugged. "Keep in mind I'm just a figment of your imagination. I'm pointing out possibilities that haven't quite made it out of your subconscious. Regardless it's not that the spirit meant to do harm; he simply saw no other choice. It was either defeat Seto or not get your grandfather's soul returned."

"But there could have been another way! He didn't even hesitate to strike!" Yugi said, clenching his hands into fists.

"Did you ever stop to think about that during your duel?"

Yugi opened his mouth to reply but closed it just as quickly, turning away from Reila. He... Hadn't. Never once during his duel with Kaiba had he thought about what he could have done should he lose. Never once had he seen any other option but defeating Kaiba and getting to Pegasus. Could he have unintentionally guided the spirit to such violence?If that was the case, then he was the one to blame for not seeing multiple options, not the spirit.

Yugi jumped when Reila stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, a soft smile on her face. "Yugi, no one in that position would have had the answers; protecting those you care about has a way of narrowing your field of vision, of making obvious choices and options less so because they take you further away from your ultimate goal. You did what you were sure had to be done to save your grandfather; the spirit acted on that desire. Ultimately no one was hurt and that's the important thing." She turned him slowly to face the flames that still enveloped the tablets. "And now you must do whatever is necessary to save all of them. The Millennium Puzzle is a powerful artifact, but you must place your faith and heart into it to defeat Pegasus."

"You mean I need to trust in the spirit within it." Yugi said, looking at Reila over his shoulder. Her black eyes glittered with approval at his words, and she nodded once.

"Trust in the spirit Yugi. He can help you in ways you can't begin to imagine. Now, it's time to _WAKE UP._ "

Yugi sat up with a startled cry, surprised to find himself tangled in the sheets of the bed. Looking around, he wiped his forehead; it had all only been a dream. Falling back with a soft grunt, Yugi turned his head to look at the moon outside his window.

"Or was it?"

* * *

Opening my eyes, I sighed and stretched my arms over my head to relieve the tension that had accumulated there. Ydor had spent the entire day guiding me through the steps it would take to contact Yugi through a dream. True I hadn't really done much; Ydor had done practically all the work and provided all the magic needed, but there had been some things only I could do, like wording the message and envisioning the projection of myself. It had actually been kind of fun, playing the part of a figment of Yugi's imagination. Although keeping my calm while images of Seto and Mokuba's souls burning played before my eyes had taken a lot of my acting skills.

 _ **Are you satisfied that the message you wanted to give him was understood?**_

"Yeah, Yugi's can be pretty perceptive when it comes to these sort of things. But to be honest, I won't be completely at ease until I'm back home and away from this island for good. In fact I might see about the possibility of bombing it until it's nothing but a pile of rubble when I'm gone." Ydor's rumbling laughter echoed inside me and I smiled in response; I was slowly becoming accustomed to the strange feeling of another person inside me. "Say Ydor, since you're making yourself known and all now... You'll know everything that I'm thinking?"

 _ **Not everything young one. There are thoughts you have that do not concern me and they are hidden safely even from me. In times that you don't need me I will return to your subconscious and sleep.**_

"Well it's not that I don't enjoy talking with you..." I felt myself blush as I realized that I might have offended him. "I only asked because in the future there might be a thought or two that I would like to keep private."

 _ **I am not offended.**_ Okay now I could definitely hear amusement in his voice. _**It is difficult to have two beings residing within the same body; especially when one seeks to use the other in a shameful way. However my only desire is to protect you until my presence is no longer required.**_

"And I'll know what you mean by that when the time comes, right?" I said, repeating the words he'd spoken over and over again today. I'd done my best to get information out of him; like who exactly he was and what exactly he was doing in my mind. But the guy was more tight lipped than anyone I'd ever met.

 _ **Precisely. You learn quickly young one.**_

"My name is Reila." I grumbled for the umpteenth time.

 _ **For now I shall call you as I wish. But you grow tired, and I must rest as well; sending one through the world of dreams is no small feat. But should you require my protection again I shall be able to keep you safe, worry not.**_

"Yeah, thanks for that Ydor." I said, and I felt his presence slip away until it was barely noticeable, like one of those squiggly lines that float around in your eye; you can't really see them but from the corner of your eye although you know that they're there.. Shivering I drew my knees up to my chest, looking around. It had grown colder in the cell as the night crept along, and I was beginning to wonder what it would take to get a blanket. Last night Mokuba and I had been able to huddle together and stay reasonably warm, but now...

Eyeing Seto's form I scooted a little closer, soaking up some of his warmth. What was it about guys and being walking furnaces? Hojo was the same; his hugs were warm and comforting, something that I really missed right about now. I might be almost forty mentally, but a good comforting hug is something that you never outgrow. As human beings we crave physical contact, familiarity and comfort from those we care for. And this ordeal had really driven home that I appreciated my uncle and cousin even more than I thought I did, because they're the cornerstones of my foundation. When – I refuse to say 'if' because I am trying to remain optimistic – I get back home I won't even protest when Hojo hugs me too tightly or Uncle Sota puts me under the equivalent of house arrest. I didn't need to have the power to see the future to know both of those would be happening.

Scooting still closer I studied Seto's face. Without the usual emotions that were on his face, he looked so much younger, peaceful even. This was the boy that I remember from the orphanage; the only thing missing was the patient smile that he used to wear when teaching Mokuba how to play chess, or helping me with Japanese History. Reaching a hand up I place it gently on his cheek, trying to keep the wince from my face when he didn't react. The sharp pain in my chest returned as I carefully maneuvered myself into his lap, feeling better now that I wasn't sitting on the cold stone.

"Don't read too much into this Seto... But it's freezing and you're warm. So... Yeah I'm just using you as a space heater, got it?" I don't know why I grumbled under my breath, but it made me feel better knowing that I had made it quite clear that this was a matter of need, not want. Picking up one of his arms I draped it loosely on my shoulder; there, that was better; and so much warmer.

Looking up at Seto's blank face, I sighed heavily. "You have no idea how much I want to be angry with you. What were you thinking, leaving Mokuba alone like that? You have to know how many enemies you've made; the list makes mine look tiny in comparison. You trust no one, yet trust that Mokuba will be safe without you?" Shaking my head I looked out into the hallway. "I want to be mad at you, but I can't. Because all of this was beyond your control, beyond anyone's control. And now we're sitting here in a freaking dungeon cell waiting on a high school student to defeat Pegasus at his own game – literally – and there isn't a damn thing I can do!" Blinking back frustrated tears I huffed and fell back against Seto a little harder than I had intended to, but well I was upset. If he had a bruise or red mark from it in the morning oh well.

Sighing I rubbed my forehead, trying to combat the headache that was quickly forming. I'd cried or almost cried so much in the past day that I knew that a fierce headache was in my near future. Blinking my eyes rapidly, I tried to fight off my sleepiness - but I had barely slept at all the past few days. If I had to guess, I'd say I'd been up a little over twenty fours hours by this point. Although I feared going to sleep in a strange place with so much danger around me, my eyes wouldn't stay open any longer.

"Just... Just a few hours then..." I said to myself, settling into a more comfortable position and letting my eyes slide shut.

* * *

Grimacing from the stiffness in his joints, Seto started to straighten when he felt a weight on his lap. Opening his eyes slowly, he blinked in surprise to find Reila tucked in his lap, head resting on his shoulder and one hand lightly grasping his jacket. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was deep and even, letting him know she was asleep. Trying to move as little as possible, he stretched what he could before looking around, trying to piece together what had happened.

The last thing he truly remembered was losing his duel to Pegasus. After Sagi the Dark Clown had been destroyed he'd had no other cards that he could play. Pegasus had said something about his soul being taken, and he remembered Reila's scream; the memory of it sent a shiver down his spine. For one normally so calm, her voice had been piercing, the fear and helplessness practically tangible as she'd called for him. Then... he couldn't remember what had happened after that. He had a vague impression of being cold and somewhere dark; the cell he was currently in? He... He didn't want to admit that his soul, as well as Mokuba's had been taken. But he'd experienced it himself, first hand. How could he deny what had happened?

Pushing aside the thought he looked down to Reila still sleeping. The guilt he'd felt before at dragging her into the middle of this came back full force now that he could see her up close. The circles underneath her eyes looked better now that she'd slept, but the cut on her lip was an ugly reminder that she'd fought against her captors. Her ankle was still swollen and bruised, but the cheek that had been struck looked normal; no bruise had formed despite her being struck so hard. Seto felt a rush of respect for her at how much she'd endured, all because of her friendship with Mokuba and himself. But he worried that she had put herself in too much danger, and all for the sake of his ego.

He should have never left Mokuba alone; he knew how many enemies he had, but had been overly confident in his security force. Someone had turned his security force against him, allowing them to take Mokuba right from his own headquarters. He would weed out the guilty parties once he returned, and make them pay.

More than that, he was worried about Reila's uncle. Sota Sarota did not take kindly to anyone harming his family, and Reila had been hurt by her association with him. Even if he wanted to keep the truth hidden, he couldn't ask Reila to lie to her uncle just to protect himself. No, he would face Sota and deal with the consequences as they came. It would be his way to repent not only to Sota for the harm that had come to his precious niece, but also to Reila herself for failing to protect her.

But right now he needed to find Mokuba and get the three of them off this island and away from it's demented owner. Now that he was conscious, he could get himself and Reila free – Reila obviously didn't know how to pick a lock or else she would have escaped long ago. Tucking a stray curl behind her ear he gently shook her shoulder, keeping her from toppling onto the floor with his other hand.

She muttered sleepily under her breath, nuzzling closer to his chest in an attempt to remain asleep. Seto almost smiled at the gesture, remembering how much she disliked mornings; she had annoyed the caretakers at the orphanage more than once with that trait. But he continued with his gentle shaking, even as her grumbles increased in volume.

"Reila, come on. We have to find Mokuba."

Her eyes snapped open at his words, a gasp escaping her as she almost fell out of his lap and right onto her bad ankle. He caught her quickly, keeping her balanced on his thigh as she shook off her sleepiness. "S-Seto?" Her voice was still thick with sleep and she cleared her throat, wincing as she massaged her neck. "What's going on? You're... You're alright now?"

He nodded, waiting until she'd rubbed her eyes and shaken off the remnants of sleep. "Yeah, I just woke up a little bit ago. But we need to find Mokuba and get out of here."

She nodded, rubbing her face. "Right. Sorry, I only meant to sleep for an hour or two..." Glancing down she saw where she was still positioned and a light blush formed on her cheeks, something Seto wisely chose not to comment on. "And you were marginally more comfortable than the floor." She scooted off his lap quickly, bracing herself on the stone wall and standing, slowly rotating her ankle and grimacing in pain. "Damn, I was hoping it would have gotten a little better by now. I really did a number on it this time."

"We'll have to move quickly; who knows how long we have until a guard comes to check on us." Seto said, focusing on getting them out. Any lingering emotions could be dealt with later, right now rescuing Mokuba was the priority.

Nodding she followed him in a strange hop to the cell door, where she leaned against the bars as she studied him. Bending down he eyed the lock; it wasn't the most advanced one he'd seen, but it might take him a minute to get it open. Inserting the torsion wrench he had just picked up the first pick when he heard footsteps heading their way. Growling in frustration he stowed away his set as he stood, moving to Reila's side; if he had to fight he didn't want to run the risk of Reila being drawn into it.

As the guard came into view and he felt his muscles tightening in anticipation of a fight, Reila placed a hand on his arm. "Wait Seto... He's not one of the cruel ones." Seto raised an eyebrow in a questioning look but Reila shook her head in answer, moving closer to the bars. The man spotted her and sighed in relief, moving closer but still keeping a distance; smart man.

"Ms. Sarota, Mr. Kaiba. I'm here to let you out and escort you from the castle. Master Pegasus has... Taken ill and is unable to do it himself. He was defeated by Yugi Moto, and as his prize he asked that all Master Pegasus's prisoners be released." He held up a hand to show them the key he held and moved slowly to the door, opening it and stepping back. "Ms. Sarota, do you require any assistance?"

"I'll take care of her." Seto said, stepping out first and holding his hand out to Reila, who snorted in amusement as she took it and she hopped out to stand beside him. He frowned down at her, wondering when she'd gotten so short; the top of her head barely came to his shoulder. Glancing at her feet, he raised an eyebrow. Her heels were missing; he'd gotten so accustomed to her height in them he forgot that she was remarkably shorter without them.

"My heel broke. Can't exactly wear a broken stiletto." She said simply, shrugging a shoulder. "By the way, I'm charging you for a new pair of shoes."

* * *

The look on Seto's face was _priceless_. As though he couldn't even wrap his head around my flippant attitude or my declaration that he would be buying me a new pair of shoes. But dammit, I had one thing in this world that I loved collecting and wearing and it was shoes. I didn't judge Seto about his obsession with his Duel Monsters cards, he doesn't get to judge me on my shoe collection.

Seto pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "You have hundreds of pairs of shoes. I'm sure that you won't miss one pair."

I raised an eyebrow at his statement. "Those happened to be Sergio Rossi's newest product and I was the first to be given a pair, as a personal favor from the designer himself. They were very special and I want. A. New. Pair." I said, frowning up at him. "Look I get kidnapped, you buy me a new pair of shoes; seems an even trade, right?"

The guard beside us was shaking from trying to keep in his laughter. I suppose that it is a rather funny picture; a bruised barefoot girl arguing with a man who just had his soul returned to him, over shoes of all things. Seto rolled his eyes in response.

"Fine, I'll get you a new pair of shoes. Now let's move; we need to find Mokuba." I hid my grin and focused on the important task; finding Mokuba. To do that we would need to find Yugi and his group; since it appeared that Yugi had triumphed and the story was following canon, Tristan should have gotten him free from his cell and taken him with them to the dueling area. Sadly, I didn't remember how to get there and I couldn't think of a way to subtly suggest that we head in their direction.

"Mr. Kaiba, if I may..." I really needed to ask this guy what his name was. Turning to him, Seto opened his mouth to say something but I squeezed his arm, and he gave me an exasperated look but remained silent.

"I can lead you out of the castle; your brother is with Yugi Moto and his friends right now. They're heading out of the castle and into the courtyard. On this level there's a door that will open to the gates right outside of it. Considering Ms. Sarota's condition, that might be the easiest way to get to them." He explained, gesturing to my ankle.

Seto contemplated it for a moment before nodding his head in agreement. "But one wrong move and I'll lay you flat out on the floor." If the guard was at all affected by Seto's warning he didn't show it, instead moving forward to offer me his arm to lean on. But a warning look from Seto sent him right past me and on his way to leading us through the dungeon's maze like halls. Seto's behavior made me raise an eyebrow, but I didn't comment as we made our way, with me hop-stepping as quickly as I could to keep up with Seto's longer strides.

A few turns and long bleak hallways later, we came to a door that the man opened for us, stepping aside to let us pass. I took my first breath of fresh air in days and felt like laughing from the sheer joy of feeling the sun on my face and the wind blowing around me – I will never again take for granted something as trivial as a sunny day. Smiling with excitement I turned to the guard. "I never got to ask you your name. It seems rude to not ask after you've been so kind."

The man gave a gentle smile. "My name is Markus, Ms. Sarota." With a bow to us both Markus slipped back inside, and I wondered why such a man would work for Pegasus. He seemed far too gentle and kind to be employed by someone so ruthless.

Seto gave an impatient tug. "Come on, I don't want to risk missing them. The sooner we get Mokuba the sooner we're out of here."

"Right, right. Speaking of, how are we getting home? You wouldn't happen to have a boat hidden around here would you?" Given that there had never been any real explanation to Seto leaving the island, I was a little fuzzy on what to expect.

"I brought my helicopter. There's enough fuel to get us home." He explained, leading me around the outer wall of the castle and to the gates leading into the courtyard. From the inside, we could both hear Mokuba calling out Seto's name and we shared a brief look, to which I gave him an encouraging smile. As the gates opened, Mokuba looked up and his smile was so bright it, his eyes shining with happiness that I felt tears of joy forming in my eyes as I let go of Seto's arm, letting him walk forward to greet Mokuba first.

Relief coursed through my veins as I stood, watching Seto and Mokuba reunite. And from that relief sprang a new resolve; I would work harder to prevent any unnecessary harm coming to these two. In the future loomed the Battle City Tournament; as much as I wanted to I knew that I couldn't talk Seto out of that one. But in the middle of that tournament, Noah lay in waiting to get his revenge – that I could do something about, possibly. I'm not computer expert, but I was sure that I could call in a favor or two from the same person helping me set my trap for the mole that was in the company. After that was Dartz and his Orichalcos nonsense; he would target Kaiba Corp. to draw out Seto, but I could do my best to protect the company so Seto could focus on helping to take down that particular brand of crazy.

I was so wrapped up in my thoughts I didn't notice Yugi approach me, but when he laid a hand lightly on my arm I looked down at him, a questioning eyebrow raised.

"Reila, are you alright?" He asked, and the genuine concern in his eyes was touching; I'd never really spoken a word to him, but his concern was appreciated. However now that I was free again and in control of my emotions... It was time to slip back into my 'Princess of Sarota' persona. All the better to keep him from asking too many questions that I couldn't – and wouldn't – answer.

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern. I just want off this island and to get home as quickly as possible."

Yugi nodded, and I could see the questions forming in his eyes. "Reila, do you... Do you remember anything strange from last night?"

Ah, he must be referring to the fact that I'd managed to show up in his dream. I felt Ydor stirring in my mind but tried to convey that I was fine to him without showing anything on my face. The message apparently got through because he settled back down out of my immediate notice. "The only thing strange about last night was the fact that Seto was apparently missing his soul. It's been returned though, so I don't see the need to worry."

"Oh, I thought... Because last night I thought I saw someone who looked like you in a dream I had." His face flushed slightly, and I had to keep a grin off my face. His innocence and naivete was refreshing, something that brought home the fact that he was just a high school kid. Who happened to hold the fate of the world in his hands yes, but he didn't know that.

"While I appreciate the flattery, I don't see what my possibly being in your dream has to do with me; but who knows what the subconscious can bring up in dreams?" I said lightly, a pleasant smile on my face. "Thank you for looking after Mokuba though; it's a big relief to know that he's alright."

"REILA!"

Speaking of, Mokuba had apparently forgotten about my ankle as he launched himself at me, wrapping his arms around my waist in a fierce hug. For a brief moment I thought that I was going to end up flat on the ground, but Yugi braced his hands on my back, helping me to remain upright. Shooting him a brief look of thanks I turned my attention to Mokuba, feeling tears soaking into my shirt where he had his face buried. "Mokuba, I'm so glad you're alright." I said, bending as best I could and returning his fierce hold.

"Oh Reila, I was so scared! I didn't know what Pegasus was going to do to you..." Mokuba's voice broke on a sob and I made soothing noises to him as I rubbed his back.

"It's alright Mokuba, it's all over now. Seto's here and he's going to take us all home so we can put this behind us now." Mokuba's face raised up and he gave me a watery smile which I returned as Seto moved to stand next to us both, relief apparent in his blue eyes.

"Thank you Yugi; thanks for saving my brother Mokuba's soul. He means everything to me. And thank you for ensuring Reila's release as well." I nodded my head I agreement, giving Yugi a grateful smile.

"How could I do anything else?" Yugi asked, and the innocent question almost made me laugh in response; if only he knew how how many others would kill to have that kind of power over someone like Seto. Yugi and his friends now knew Seto's ultimate weakness, but would never use it against him. I admired their dedication to being kind, good people, I really did. But Seto, Mokuba and I lived in a part of the world where such things were a weakness that would ultimately lead to your downfall; the business elitists were always looking for a way to strike down their competition for good.

Listening as Kaiba basically issued a challenge for a rematch – again – I kept my thoughts to myself. Despite having slept most of the day I was still exhausted, and wanted nothing more than a hot meal, long shower and a bed to sleep in. Seto handed off his briefcase to Mokuba, and I blinked as I looked at it; how had I not noticed that he'd had it this entire time? I must be more tired than I realized. Without any warning Seto bent, sweeping one arm beneath my knees and the other around my shoulders, picking me off the ground as I gave a startled shriek.

"Seto what the hell do you think you're doing?" I demanded, feeling a blush rise onto my cheeks. "I might have a sprained ankle but that doesn't mean I need to be carried!"

"We have to go through the forest to get to my 'copter, and with your ankle and lack of shoes it'll take you forever, if you don't manage to hurt yourself worse." Seto's blunt explanation stopped me from demanding that he put me down, but I was still upset that he hadn't even asked.

"We really need to work on our communication skills." I grumbled, causing Mokuba to laugh happily as we left Yugi and his group behind. Looking over Seto's shoulder, my eyes locked with Yugi's and I felt the presence of the spirit of the Puzzle, just the barest flicker of pride and relief on the edges of my notice.

"Alright, we're going home!" Mokuba's cheerful shout brought my attention back to my friends, and I smiled at him as he grinned back; the first battle had been fought and won. Now all we could do was plan for the future; on my part at least.

* * *

Seto gazed out across the ocean, guiding the helicopter easily as he made his way back to his home. Although he was filled with the need to go straight to his corporate offices and deliver retribution to the snakes that had dared to try and take his company from him. Glancing to his right, where Reila sat in the copilot seat he pushed aside his thoughts of revenge for the time being; she needed a doctor to look at her ankle and he needed to get Mokuba safely secured at home before he could do anything. In the rear seat Mokuba lay sleeping under Seto's jacket, and Yugi and his friends were following in another helicopter that Seto had called for.

It had irritated him that he'd had to provide everyone in that group with transportation, but Pegasus had apparently not planned on losing and therefore hadn't thought ahead to transporting anyone off the island. But Mokuba had asked him to help Yugi and his friends, and since Yugi had freed Mokuba, Reila, and himself Seto considered giving them a ride home payback.

"I can practically hear you thinking." Reila's voice came softly through the headset he wore, and he glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Is something on your mind?"

"What will you tell your uncle about what happened?" Reila had been gone for days without a word to her family, and since she made a habit of keeping them updated on her whereabouts they had to know something was wrong. Seto didn't want to go to war with Sota Sarota; the man might look unassuming but he was a powerful man. Reila's story to him was key in deciding whether or not he blamed Seto for what had happened.

"The way I see it, I have one of two options; lie or tell him the truth." Reila said, sighing. "If I tell him the truth he won't rest until Pegasus has been completely destroyed. On the other hand, lying to him is something I've never done and I'm afraid that I couldn't stomach telling him a lie." Rubbing her forehead wearily she gazed out the front of the cockpit, thinking for a moment before continuing. "Although telling him half the truth is an option, and one that I think I could handle. I'll tell him that I went to get Mokuba to have him stay with us while you were gone, witnessed him being kidnapped and tried to stop it; then while being held captive I tried to escape and ended up hurt." She was wisely keeping the soul stealing out of the story; that wasn't something Seto wanted broadcast to anyone. "If you're worried about Uncle Sota coming at you, don't be – I won't let him place any blame on you. I'll just have to talk him out of getting revenge for my treatment in Pegasus's castle."

"Why protect Pegasus at all?" Seto asked, frowning in confusion.

"Because the man has had his plans blow up in his face and been beaten in a tournament of his own making, in the very game he designed. He's been stripped of everything except his money; he's harmless now. He won't dare come after you again, and he won't dare show his face in public anytime soon. It seems wrong to go after a man when he's lost everything like that – he can't even put up a good fight in his current situation." Reila explained, turning a little in her seat to face him. "I never go after an unarmed opponent, and I'd rather just put this entire ordeal behind me and never think of it again. If you want revenge that badly it's you prerogative to do so. But I just want to get back to work and focus on my own company."

Seto thought over her words as the blades above them whirled and they glided through the night sky. She had a point; Pegasus had been stripped of everything in his defeat at Yugi's hands. And Seto had no use for his money, he had plenty of his own. Yugi had avenged both he and his brother when he defeated Pegasus, so there was no merit in going after Pegasus. Besides that, there was little to no proof of what had taken place; Pegasus's men would never talk, and with only Reila as a witness there would never be a conviction. "I'm still going to take down the weasels on my board of directors."

"As you should. I'm actually surprised you kept them around as long as you have; but you know what's best for your company." Her comment went a long way to soothing his ego, and he marveled at her ability to know what to say to calm his anger over something she had said so quickly. Was it a subconscious move on her part?

"Perhaps having a doctor take a look at your ankle first will keep your uncle from going after Pegasus." Seto mused, banking smoothly as Domino City drew nearer. "I doubt that he'd listen to you if you went home as you are now."

"Why Seto, are you offering to get me a doctor? And perhaps a good night's sleep and a shower can be added into the deal?" She asked coyly, flashing him a grin. The instruments on the console cast a green light onto her skin, yet he could see her eyes sparkling with happiness at the idea.

The corner of his mouth quirked up at her excitement over the possibility of an actual bed to sleep in and a shower. "I'll have the staff set you up in guest room and get you clothes that actually fit you; I'll even have them get of shoes to replace your broken ones."

Reila laughed, and Seto found his grin widening at the sound. "Seto, you do know how to treat a girl. But those were stilettos and I can't be wearing those right now. I'll order a replacement pair and send you the bill, does that sound fair?"

"Whatever." Seto appreciated the light hearted banter after everything that they'd been through. And he admired Reila's ability to bounce back so quickly; she and Mokuba shared that trait, the ability to push things aside quickly and not dwell on negative thoughts. He was slowly learning it himself, but he somehow doubted he would ever be able to do it as easily as they did.

As he guided the helicopter onto the landing pad within the gates of his home, he felt the last remnants of his worry lift off of his shoulder. Mokuba and Reila were safe, they were back home and tomorrow he would take care of the two-timing snakes on his board; things were looking up.

* * *

"This. Is. Heaven."

I sighed in bliss as I sat back against the edge of the tub, admiring the décor and relishing in the hot, soapy water; I'd washed my hair twice, taking special care to make sure that it was completely free of grit and oil before letting conditioner set in it for five minutes. I'd scrubbed and exfoliated every inch of my skin, and before all that I'd taken a spare toothbrush and brushed my teeth for almost ten minutes, making sure to lavish each tooth with special attention and gargle half a bottle of mouthwash.

I finally felt human again.

Soaking in the rose scented water – Mrs. Fujikawa had managed to find a stash of bath salts and given them to me happily – I felt like this was as close to nirvana as one could actually get. It went a long way to soothing my spirits and making me feel optimistic about the future again.

Once Seto had landed the helicopter there had been a flurry of activity; maids helping me into the house while Seto carried Mokuba, Seto barking orders left and right as I'd been escorted up to a guest room and a bath was drawn. Since there were no other females in the home they'd managed to find a smaller pair of pajamas that Seto had outgrown for me to wear for the night, and first thing in the morning a maid was going to get me new clothes so that I wouldn't look shabby or improper when I went home tomorrow. Just one more night and I'd be back in my own bed, in my own room, with my uncle and cousin nearby.

 _ **Why would it be so bad for you to return home without new clothes? These clothes you will wear tonight, they are not sufficient enough?**_

 _Well it would look bad for me to spend the night at a guy's house, then return the next day in his pajamas; people would assume that we'd done something inappropriate._ Ydor had been asking me question periodically, trying to understand my thought process and the world around me. He only had my memories to go off of, and sometimes he had a hard time differentiating between my first life and this one.

 _ **Ah, so you care about what people think of you?**_

 _It's less about actually caring and more about maintaining a certain image. Besides the last thing I need is someone speculating on Seto and I being in a relationship; he and his brother are dear friends and nothing more. I don't want to be adding content to the gossip columns._

Ydor grumbled something about nosy people before receding, leaving me with my thoughts. Sighing I stood and drained the tub, grabbing a soft towel and wiping off before wrapping it tightly around me, grabbing another towel for my hair. Using the counter to steady myself, I hopped to the door and opened it, making my way to the bed where the pajamas had been laid out. I had to bite back a grin as I eyed the color.

Royal blue, because of course Seto would have blue silk pajamas. With a quiet laugh I carefully hoped over to the bed, dressing quickly before sitting down, sinking into the soft mattress with a happy smile. Yes, I suppose I've become accustomed to luxurious surroundings but hey, can you blame a girl for wanting the best? Gently toweling my hair dry I looked around for a comb and frowned, not remembering one in the bathroom and not seeing one in sight. If I didn't comb it before it dried it was going to be a nightmare to untangle later...

A knock sounded on the door and I answered with a soft 'come in', smiling when Seto walked in, a comb in hand. "Oh thank goodness, I was just wondering where I could find one of those." I said, taking the comb and carefully working through the tangles in my hair.

Seto sat beside me and studied my features for a moment. Something odd flickered in the depths of his eyes but I couldn't quite make out what it was, so I ignored it. "The doctor is here, if you're ready."

"Did you tell him that I have a sprained ankle?" I asked, flipping my wet curls over my shoulder and working on the other side of my hair. "If my guess is correct I won't be able to make due with just an aircast like I have in the past; this is one of the bigger sprains I've had and I'll probably need a full boot."

"Dr. Juhei brought a boot just as you asked." Seto said, shaking his head. When he placed the call to the doctor I'd made sure to have Seto relay that I already knew it was sprained and preferred a boot if possible. When I'd made the remark Seto had demanded to know how I could be so sure, and after explaining that I've sprained ankles before he'd seemed upset.

I'm a girl who wears three inch heels all the time; it's a hazard that I've accepted.

Seto stood, looking me over with a critical eye as I finished combing my hair, returning his gaze with a questioning look. His gaze was so intense, almost as if he was waiting for something to happen – for something else to go wrong. But he didn't comment on it, instead turning to the door. "I'll send Dr. Juhei in, and once he's done you should get some sleep; you look exhausted."

"Thanks Seto, that's exactly what a girl wants to hear. Ranks right up there with 'Are you sick?' and 'That's really not your color.'" I said dryly, and I managed to get a grin out of Seto with that comment.

"I'll keep that in mind for the future. But I'm serious; you need sleep. Mokuba's already out, and I'm heading to bed as well. If you need anything ring for Mrs. Fujikawa; she was very adamant that I make sure you understand that she is only a call away."

I smiled at the thought. His chief maid had been hovering over me like a mother hen all night, and a part of me appreciated the mothering actions. "Once I get a boot from the doctor I plan on sleeping for as long as I can. Thank you Seto, for everything."

He nodded once, making his way to the door. As a portly man in his forties entered the room – Dr. Juhei, apparently – Seto hesitated in the door. "Good night Reila."

I flashed a cheerful smile. "Good night Seto. Pleasant dreams." With one final look he left, leaving me to be examined by the doctor and head to bed myself.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Guess who's back, back again~

That's right everyone Panda is back! Thank you so, SO much for your patience. Words cannot express how much your support and patience has meant to me. This entire ordeal of not having a laptop has been just... An exercise in patience. And I'm not a very patient person by nature.

So I'll make this brief – I ended up having to buy a new laptop, as it wasn't just the screen on my old one that wasn't working. Now me and my dad both knew that it was only a matter of time before the old one gave out as that particular model had a notorious issue with overheating. Even though my dad works in IT professionally not even he could save it. So, Panda had to shell out money on a new laptop, which thanks to knowledge of thrifty websites I was able to get a steal. Now all that's left is for my dad to get all my old data off the hard drive of the old laptop and transfer it to the new one.

I won't bore you anymore, as I think you all have been more than patient and understanding. I honestly tried to get a chapter written and uploaded on my mom's laptop but the entire ordeal just... Drained me of inspiration. But now I feel like my old self and am ready to get back to writing!Again, you guys are amazing, give yourselves a hug from me because you guys ROCK! And also, a big shout out to **Drachegir14** , **animagirl** , **guisniperman** , **Rosezelene Ersa** , **lalalei** , and **ZabuzasGirl** for reviewing and sending encouraging messages. Thanks for sticking with me so far guys! And if I didn't respond to your reviews as I usually do, I'm sorry! Once I get back into the flow of things I promise to respond as I usually do.

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

* * *

Chapter 10

When I first woke up the next morning I felt a moment of panic; I was feeling cold, and for a sickening moment my sleepy mind thought that I was back in Pegasus's castle and that our leaving had been a dream. Opening my eyes I almost cried in relief that I was really safely out of the dungeon and one of Seto's spare rooms. Closing my eyes I let a quite sigh of relief escape me, waking up fully and going through a mental checklist of everything I had to do today.

First priority was clothes; I couldn't very well go back home in Seto's old pajamas. My uncle had never been cruel or harsh with me but this was an entirely new situation that I didn't feel comfortable going into unless I was in clothing that I was accustomed to. Getting them would be simple enough; I have open accounts with most of the higher end clothing stores in Domino City and a simple phone call would ensure that the clothing would be delivered here to the Kaiba mansion. The only thing that made me hesitant was the possibility of rumors spreading. I don't like people speculating on my personal life, and having new clothes delivered to Seto's home – really any guy's home – would give people plenty to talk about. I hoped that my continued business with them was enough incentive to not feed the rumor mill.

Second on my list was keeping Uncle Sota and Hojo from going on a war campaign to take down Pegasus. Kidnapping me was a personal insult and endangering a member of our family is not something we take kindly to. Although the idea of leaving him broken and defeated appealed to me, I also had to consider the public image of the company as well as what would happen in the future; my being kidnapped showed weakness within our security force, something enemies would try and capitalize on. Our taking vengeance for a crime that we couldn't prove could be seen as unjust and unwarranted, something that Sarota Entertainment would never stoop to. Yes business has its shady side; however a good company keeps its dirty work well out of the spotlight and hidden from public view. I'd worked too hard to maintain our company's sterling reputation to let it be tarnished by this. Added to this was the fact that Pegasus had a role to play in the future, when Dartz makes his appearance. Pegasus would remain harmless enough to me, Mokuba, and Seto that I could afford to allow him to get off lightly… If having his Millennium Eye taken could be considered light.

Making a mental note to try and dig through my memories about Bakura later, I started to sit up when a weight on my hair caught my attention. Opening my eyes I looked over and saw Mokuba, curled up beside me with his fist wound loosely in my hair – and all the blankets wrapped around him like a burrito, which explained why I had been cold. The sight of him sleeping peacefully brought a soft smile to my face as I gently unwound my hair, taking care not to wake him. He had been exhausted last night, and the emotional ups and downs of the last five days had taken a toll on him. Looking him over, I noticed that he'd positioned himself between me and the door, so that whoever came in would have to go through him first to get to me. The thought was touching, but I worried about possible psychological after effects that this little episode would have on him. I also wondered why he'd come to my room and not Seto's – was it because he thought I needed protection, or because Seto hadn't gone to bed? Knowing him as well as I do, which is admittedly only a little better than most, it wouldn't surprise me if he had been up all night planning revenge against his board of directors.

Easing off the bed, I frowned lightly down at the boot Dr. Juhei had provided for my ankle. I wouldn't be wearing stilettos for a while, not until the boot could be taken off and my ankle healed completely. I'd also have to stay out of the public eye for a while, since questions were bound to be asked. Although now that I thought of it, spinning a story that I've been confined to the house because of the seriousness of the injury might work in my favor; it would induce sympathy from some and give others the impression that I'm not as dangerous as they think.

Ha. If only they knew.

Quietly I walked to the door, opening it and finding Seto standing there, hand outstretched as if he had been just about to open it. Alarm and worry were clearly on his face, and after he gave me a quick glance his eyes turned to the room, darting frantically before coming to rest on Mokuba. Only then did the worry ease off his face even as a small sigh of relief left his lips. Stepping back, I waited as he made his way to the bed, giving him a chance to reassure himself that Mokuba was fine and safe. It would take us all time to heal from this particular wound; the worry that someone had been taken again. Anxiety like this can be overcome, but I would bet my entire show collection that Seto won't seek professional help for it. Then again, I won't be either so I can't really judge him on that matter.

Stepping quietly to his side, we both studied Mokuba for a moment before I broke the silence. "He must have come in sometime during the night; I think he was worried that I'd been taken again."

Seto's only reply was a nod, and glancing at his face I saw that his mask of indifference had settled back into place sometime while I'd slept. Although I'd enjoyed the relieved, playful banter between us last night it wasn't hard to understand why the wall was back between us; it was time to face reality again and do damage control, me with my family and company, him with his. We were sliding back into our respective roles, and although I'd felt wed grown a little closer now was not that time to worry about things like that. It was time to put our masks back on, to resume the usual friendly distance that was an unspoken agreement between us.

I tried to tell myself that it didn't bother me at all; but honestly, it bothered me a little.

* * *

When Seto had gone to check on Mokuba, panic had seized him hard when he found his little brother's bed empty. All he had been able to see was Mokuba's soulless body and the gloating look on Pegasus's face as he held Mokuba's soul in his hand. He'd torn down the hallway, fearing that Reila had been taken again too but had found them both perfectly alright, both whole and out of harm's way. The relief had been tangible, and if he had been a lesser man Seto might have fallen to his knees in gratitude that they were both safe and unharmed. But Seto Kaiba is not a lesser man.

Seeing Reila awake and moving helped ease his guilt a little; the boot she now wore was a painful reminder that she'd been dragged into this nightmare because of her association with his brother and him. He knew she would brush it off and place the blame at Pegasus's feet instead, but it still sat ill with him that this was twice now that she'd been harmed in defense of his brother. Once when they were children, standing up to a bully in the orphanage and now a second time, standing up to a maniac intent on taking everything he held dear. Although he was grateful that she cared about Mokuba that much, another part of him was uneasy that he hadn't protected his brother better. Coupled with the sight of her dressed in his old pajamas, it was enough to throw him completely off kilter. Some new emotion was forming within him, one that he didn't have time or the desire to investigate. So he pushed it aside for later – much later – contemplation and focused instead on what needed to be done now.

Return Reila safely home and face her uncle's wrath, damage control at Kaiba Corp. and taking down the backstabbing snakes within.

Glancing at Reila, he noted that he wasn't the only one pulling back a little emotionally; she had slipped back into her public persona of Princess of Sarota as well. He admired that she understood things so well, that he didn't have to explain his reasoning to her. She knew as well as he did that now was not the time for coddling or being overly emotional, now was the time for them both to do what they did best. Gesturing for her to follow him, he quietly left the room to let Mokuba sleep a little longer as he led Reila to his home office, nodding towards the phone.

"Can your clothes be delivered here?"

Reila nodded her head in answer. "Yes, I have a good enough repertoire with the managers of the stores to get delivery." Without any further explanation she sat down and picked up the phone, dialing and waiting for them to answer. Leaving her alone to order the clothing, he stepped out of the room and was almost knocked over by Mokuba, who had come barreling down the hallway, his face a mask of panic.

"Seto, Reila is-!" Seto cut off his words by gesturing behind him, where Reila was speaking quietly on the phone. At the sight of her, Mokuba's shoulders visibly loosened and he finally caught his breath. "I woke up and she was gone, I thought…"

"You and Reila are safe now Mokuba. Nothing like that will ever happen to you again." Seto said simply, his tone making it clear that the incident was behind them and not to be discussed any further. Seto didn't need the reminder that he'd failed to protect his little brother, failed to save him on his own. It irked him that he'd needed Yugi's help, but that debt had been paid by giving them transportation off the island. Mokuba only nodded in reply, letting him know that he would abide by his wishes.

Reila joined them shortly after, saying good morning to Mokuba and allowing the young boy to wrap his arms around her in a fierce hug. Walking downstairs to the dining room, Mokuba and Reila both followed without question; he was the master of this house after all, and now that he was back in his city and home he was the one in control again.

Breakfast was a quiet affair, all three of them wrapped up in their own thoughts. Seto had set aside his plans for revenge for the time being to prepare for the face off against Reila's uncle. Sota Sarota might appear unassuming and mellow, but Seto knew enough about the man to know that the insult of having his niece kidnapped would not be easily forgiven. It was very possible that Sarota might retaliate against Seto himself, since it was his company building that Reila had been kidnapped from. Reila had told him the details of how she'd come to be at Kaiba Corp. in the helicopter last night, and it was a very big possibility that Sarota might choose to direct his anger at Seto in lieu of Pegasus. Seto was relying on Reila to keep that from happening; he could probably take her uncle in a battle but he would prefer to not cause problems between their families. If Sarota Entertainment and Kaiba Corp. went to war, Mokuba wouldn't be able to spend time with Reila the way that he had become accustomed to.

During breakfast Reila's clothes were delivered, and she excused herself to go change once they finished eating. Mokuba followed to help her up the stairs, something that she sighed at, but the look on Mokuba's face silenced her protests and she allowed him to come with her whether she needed help or not.

* * *

Although anything was better than ill-fitting clothes, it did feel infinitely better to be in clothing that was actually my size, instead of pajamas that were too long and too baggy. Dressed once again in clothing that was my standard fair – beige pencil skirt and white long sleeved blouse – I felt better prepared to see my uncle. Although I was missing my usual height boost from my shoes, I probably wouldn't be able to wear my stilettos for another month or so; instead I'd ordered soft leather ballet slippers. They'd even been able to include undergarments, something that I was more than thankful for – being without them had made me very uncomfortable. Combing my hair I looked myself over in the bathroom mirror, deciding it was as close to my usual self as I could get for the moment. Exiting the bathroom I found Mokuba waiting outside, already fully dressed. He seemed hesitant, sheepish even. "Mokuba, what is it?"

Mokuba hesitated before wrapping his arms around my waist, hugging tightly. "Reila, will your uncle be mad at us? Will he blame us for what happened to you?"

His words made my heart skip a beat, because now his subdued behavior made sense; he wanted to know if we would be able to see one another again. His fear over my being taken again was overrun by his fear that my uncle would deny us being friends. Slowly bending down until we were eye level, I took his face into my hands and wiped away the one tear that escaped and made its way down his cheek. "Mokuba, listen to me; I will not let my uncle blame either you or your brother. Neither of you are to blame for this _at all_. Pegasus, and Pegasus alone, is to blame for everything that has happened, along with those who betrayed Seto. I will _not_ let my uncle place blame on anyone else; Uncle Sota holds my counsel in very high regard, and I will make him see reason."

When I first started speaking, Mokuba had been trembling as though holding back tears. Yet as I spoke, his trembling subsided and he instead looked up at me with wide, trusting eyes. "Are you sure that your uncle won't keep you away from us?"

I smiled and nodded, brushing his hair from his eyes. "Yes, I promise that I will not let him keep us apart. Once I explain things to him he will see reason." Mokuba's wide smile gave me courage and caused my own smile to widen, even as I kept my misgivings at bay. Although I was sure that I could prevent my uncle from blaming Seto and Mokuba, it would take a lot of convince him to let Pegasus off without a fight. I had barely kept him from going after the mole in our company; he'd been ready to publicly crucify whoever it was. But I had convinced him to give me time to quietly take out not only the mole but shutdown Royalty Records as well. That small victory gave me hope that I would be able to quell not only his anger, but also Hojo's. Hojo was the unpredictable one; he is so protective of me that I might just have to lock him in the basement to prevent some misguided revenge attempt.

Taking Mokuba's hand we walked downstairs and met Seto by the front door where he was waiting for us. Opening the doors he led us to the car, fully intending to escort me home. We had spoken of it briefly last night, and although I knew he was preparing for a face-off against my family, I was almost confident that it wouldn't come to that. Seto and my uncle could be amazingly similar at times when it came to protecting those that they cared for, so I hoped that almost an entire lifetime of dealing with both of their overprotective natures would help me keep them from going to war. If I could soothe Seto's pride and calm my uncle's temper, we all might get through this meeting a little worse for wear.

Seto helped me into the car, where Mokuba wedged himself between us. I had noticed that Mokuba was being more… Clingy wasn't exactly the word for his behavior, but it was close. But given what we'd just been through I suppose it was only natural that he would feel the way he did. I said nothing of it, just sat back in the car and planned what I would say to my uncle. Seto said nothing, lost in his own thoughts and allowing me time to prepare what I would say. I hadn't been lying when I said that I would not tell my uncle the entire truth. Neither Hojo nor Uncle Sota would believe the whole truth without proof, which I could not give them. And neither one of them are ready to have the truth of the Millennium Items revealed to them, never mind the fact that telling them the truth would require that I tell them _how_ I knew about such things. That was a particular conversation that I was not keen on having at any time soon – or ever, truth be told.

It didn't take long for us to get to my family's home, and I was barely able to keep my joy contained. The Sarota estate had never looked more beautiful to me than it did right now. Even the gates, which I normally found imposing and unnecessary, seemed to have a special gleam to them as we pulled up. Frowning I looked again at the gates; they were shut tight, which was odd. During the day we left our gates open so that friends and colleagues could come in and visit. Even odder than the fact the gates were closed was the fact that there was no guard on duty at the gatehouse – whenever our gates were closed we had a guard on duty in case of emergencies or surprise visitors needing entrance. Frowning I sat forward, looking over the driver's shoulder. "This is odd… Our gates have never been shut during the day."

"Maybe the gates are broken?" Mokuba asked, peering out the window as best he could. "Are there any other gates into the house?"

"No, we only have the one set. And if they were broken they would have locked them open, not shut… Seto, can I use your cellphone?" I asked, returning to my seat. As Seto reached into his jacket for his phone, the intercom that was beside the passenger side window clicked on. I could hear Shuuichi's voice asking questions and smiled; Mariko hadn't killed him after all. Before I could sit forward to take over the conversation, Uncle Sota's voice rang out clearly – and full of anger.

"Kaiba, you have ten seconds to tell me where my niece is, or so help me I'll see to it that-"

"Uncle Sota, it's me!" I called out, cutting him off before he could finish his threat. I was right, he was furious and his first instinct was to lash out at Seto. Nudging the driver's shoulder he pulled forward a little and Mokuba scooted out of the way so I could lean over Seto's lap and speak closer to the intercom. "I'm alright Uncle Sota, please open the gates and I'll explain everything."

"Oh thank the gods… Reila, are you hurt? Has he done anything to hurt you?" The amount of concern and relief in his voice nearly brought tears to my eyes, but his automatic assumption that Seto would hurt me sparked my temper. Smothering the instinct to snap back I gave Seto an apologetic look, which he returned with a blank stare. Obviously he was either unaffected by the threat or keeping his emotions hidden – my bet was on the former.

"Uncle I'm fine, I promise – Seto isn't responsible for my being gone. Please open the gates and let us in… And tell Hojo to put down whatever weapon he currently has in his hand before I hurt him." I could hear my cousin's frustrated groan faintly and grinned as the gates opened smoothly. Settling back into the seat I sighed as we pulled up the long driveway, but frowned when I saw Mariko and her security force waiting at the front doors. "Of all the… I don't know whether to be flattered that they care so much or insulted that they're not listening to me."

"Your uncle won't back down until he has some answers." Seto said, shrugging even as he eyed the guards. Although Seto could hold his own against an opponent – he'd proven that by taking on Pegasus's guards multiple times – if he tried to fight our guards he would be severely outnumbered. When the car stopped Seto hesitated for just a moment. "Mokuba, don't get out of the car until I tell you to. Understand?" Once Mokuba nodded to show he would do as he asked Seto opened the door, stepping out slowly and making sure to keep his hands visible. Only after making sure that the guards weren't going to move in did he hold his hand out, which I took and stepped out of the vehicle. Once the boot on my left foot was visible I could feel the tension in the air sky rocket, and even heard Mariko inhale sharply. Shooting her a quick glance, I gave a subtle hand signal – it was one that she'd taught me ages ago, from her time in the military, a way to signal that I was alright and not under any duress. Looking pointedly at the boot, she raised an eyebrow to which I shifted uncomfortably, mouthing the words "running down stairs in heels".

She literally threw her hands into the air in frustration. I can't blame her, she's tried time and time again to get me to stop doing things like that.

Taking a few steps forward, I glanced back to where Seto stood and waited beside the car, Mokuba hovering just inside the door and waiting to be told he could come out. Looking around, I frowned at not seeing my uncle or Hojo. Before I could ask about their whereabouts the front doors were flung open, and Hojo came running out, literally sweeping me up into a hug and leaving my feet dangling in the air. I let out a small squeak of surprise, but any objections I had died in my throat when I felt his shoulders shaking and heard his breath catching in his throat as he fought back tears. I know that my cousin loves me just as much as I love him, but I forgot that he didn't have the luxury of knowing how things will work out. He hadn't had the reassurance that I would be back and little worse for wear. Wrapping my arms around his shoulders I leaned my head against his, keeping my protests about how tightly he was hugging me quiet. "Hojo, I'm alright; I'm sorry for scaring you and Uncle Sota."

Hojo didn't say anything as he struggled to get his composure, and over his shoulder I saw my uncle coming towards us at a much more subdued pace. Although he was more composed, I could see the fatigue and stress on his face; lines around his eyes that hadn't been there just a week ago brought home just how much these two love me. Blinking back tears of gratitude I smiled at him as Hojo finally set me down, allowing Uncle Sota to wrap me in a tight hug. Sometimes it was easy to focus on all that I had lost in my two lives – my family and friends in my first life, my parents in this life, and forget that although I'd lost many I still had people who cared about me and whom I loved and cared for.

Stepping back my uncle looked me over with a sharp eye, his penetrating gaze lingering on the boot I wore. Raising an eyebrow, his gaze hardened and flickered to Seto, who stood watching us with an unreadable expression. Hojo glared at my friend, and I could see that they had already made up their minds to blame Seto. I had expected this, but now that I was actually faced with the task of getting them to see reason I realized that it was going to take a lot of work to make them believe me. Clearing my throat quietly, I brought Hojo's and my uncle's attention back to me. "Before you go accusing anyone, please allow me to tell you what happened. Seto and Mokuba were involved in the incident but were NOT the cause of it. All that I'm asking is that you both give me a chance to explain what happened before you start placing blame."

Uncle Sota's face was just as unreadable as Seto's, and I was momentarily caught up trying to figure out how they pulled off such expressions so easily. Although I could read both their moods easier than others, there were still times that not even I could read their expressions. But finally my uncle nodded and silenced Hojo's protests with one sharp look. Motioning for Seto to follow us, Uncle Sota and Hojo took one of my hands in theirs and walked me into the house, effectively sandwiching me between their much taller frames.

The five of us moved into the sitting room, and from the moment I stepped into the actual house I felt most of the tension that had settled into my shoulders drain away. It felt so good to be home, and it was making me feel light, optimistic, and happy. Settling onto the couch, Uncle Sota and Hojo sat on either side of me, Hojo taking my hand quickly into his as though afraid I would leave again. I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and gave him a small smile, but he didn't return it. I could tell that he was struggling to keep his composure, to keep himself from lashing out at Seto. Hojo had come a long way in the past few years – his normal response to people he doesn't like used to be to take them out without question. This experience had matured him, and although I was proud that he was finally understanding that patience and civility were traits he needed, I don't like that it took my disappearing for five days to get him to learn that lesson.

Once Seto and Mokuba were seated across from us, I took a deep breath. "Uncle Sota, Hojo, please let me explain everything before you ask any questions. I'll answer them as best I can, and somethings Seto or Mokuba will have to help me with because I wasn't around to hear or see everything. The last you two knew I had gone to Kaiba Corp. to pick up Mokuba to come stay with us while Seto was gone. That's exactly what I did; but when I got there, I saw three men taking Mokuba away. I know I should have called for Shuuichi but I panicked and tried to get Mokuba away from them on my own."

"Are you kidding me Reila? You tried to take on three men by yourself? You're not Mariko, you're not a trained fighter!" Hojo said, loosing the fight to keep his composure. Seeing my frown he grumbled under his breath and turned his face away, even as the grip he had on my hand tightened momentarily.

"I realize now that I shouldn't have acted so rashly – but seeing Mokuba in danger kind of sent my common sense out the window. One of the men recognized me, and I recognized him. So instead of leaving me behind to tell someone what I'd seen, they knocked me out with chloroform and took me with them as well." I continued, trying to downplay certain parts as I went. I had a basic idea of what I wanted to tell them and what I wanted to keep quiet about, but the urge to tell them the complete truth was hard to ignore. Keeping secrets from Uncle Sota and Hojo sat badly with me, but I had to keep reminding myself that it was for the best that I only give them the barest of facts.

"The man I had recognized was Kemo, the one who works for Maximillian Pegasus." Uncle Sota tensed beside me, but he kept quiet even as Hojo swore softly under his breath. "Apparently, Mokuba had overheard Pegasus plotting with five of Seto's board members to take over his company as I was coming to get him. I found all this out later though; for three days Pegasus left me in a tower in his castle. When I finally got to see and speak with him it was in the middle of the tournament he just threw, but getting information from him was almost impossible. Mokuba had managed to escape to try and get help-" I purposely left out that he had taken a slight detour to challenge Yugi to a duel - "and so Pegasus decided I was a flight risk as well and moved me to his dungeon."

"He put you in a dungeon?" Uncle Sota asked quietly, and the tone of his voice could have frozen steel with how icy and cold it was. I nodded mutely, giving him time to get his emotions in control, and after a moment he nodded to me to continue.

"I did try to escape, but given that I was wearing heels and had tried to escape the guards heading downstairs... I ended up breaking the heel of my shoes and spraining my ankle. Mokuba was recaptured and brought to the same cell as me. Later that day Seto managed to sneak into the castle, intent on getting Mokuba and I out and safely home. Pegasus had sent some men to try and take Seto out of the picture, and after he'd shaken them he'd found out what had happened."

My uncle turned his sharp gaze to Seto. "You should have come to me instead of trying to rescue them on your own."

"And let it be known that my company was weak? I was confident that I could get them out. I might have underestimated Pegasus, and it might have taken a day longer than I thought but I did bring her back, didn't I?" Seto responded, crossing his arms across his chest and meeting my uncle's gaze without flinching. I grimaced, realizing that I should have asked Seto's permission before including the part about his own board plotting to take him out, but then again it's not like I could have left it out. I'd talk to Seto and apologize about that later. Touching my uncle's hand, which had clenched into a fist I brought his attention back to me, and smiled softly until he calmed down a degree.

"As I was saying, once Seto arrived we thought we were getting out, but it took another day for us to be able to leave. Pegasus had captured Seto as well, but once he'd lost the tournament his chance to take over Kaiba Corp. was gone; the board members would only hand over control to him if he won. We weren't of any use to him as hostages anymore so he let us go. We got back late last night, and Seto called a doctor to look at my ankle right away. I would have come back last night, but we were all exhausted and needed a good night's sleep desperately."

I felt that it was as good of an explanation as I could give; I didn't want to bring up the soul stealing bits, and neither did I want to make it known that our freedom had been won by Yugi. Seto was loosing respect from my family enough as it was, and I was trying to downplay his inability to get us out himself as much as possible. Either way my uncle and Hojo were going to be upset with him out of principal but I could try and help him save face a little.

"So Pegasus is to blame?" Uncle Sota asked quietly, and the quietness put me on edge. Uncle Sota was a quiet man by nature, soft spoken and articulate in almost any situation. But this quietness was different; harder, sharper. I could practically feel that he was on edge, ready to blow like a volcano. This was the real test of my persuasive abilities – keeping him from going after Pegasus.

"Ultimately yes, Pegasus is to blame. But Uncle Sota, we can't retaliate. If we were to lash out at him-"

"What do you mean we can't retaliate?!" Hojo jumped off the couch, casting an incredulous look from me to Seto, who was sitting back with his eyes closed, appearing calm and at ease. "He kidnapped you, you were hurt trying to escape, and you want us to do NOTHING?!"

Narrowing my eyes I stood, facing him with my hands on my hips. "That's exactly what I'm saying! If you'd stop flying off the handle and listen I'll explain exactly why we can't lash out at him."

"There is no reason that you can give me that would make it okay for us to let an insult like this go! You were drugged, kidnapped, and hurt! Dad and I have been worried sick, Shuuichi has run himself ragged trying to locate you, everyone has been on edge waiting to see if you would turn up or not, and now that we know who to blame and why you want us to do nothing?!" Color rose in Hojo's cheeks, and all throughout his rant his voice had steadily gotten louder until he was shouting. Although logically I knew it was him venting his anger, being yelled at is not something I enjoy, and I had to struggle against my initial reaction to yell back. It took me a few deep breaths to calm down, because I don't like fighting with Hojo. When I felt a little more in control I continued.

"Hojo, the man just lost a tournament where he played a game of his own creation. He's lost the respect of a lot of people, and if his company doesn't suffer from this I'll be shocked. We have no proof to back up my story; although he might seem like a buffoon Pegasus is a brilliant man and doesn't leave evidence of his dirty work. None of his employees will testify against him, we only have the word of the three of us involved to go against a man who has been doing business as long as Uncle Sota has. If we lash out at him after his company takes such a big hit, we'll look power hungry and opportunistic. It will reflect badly on our company, which will ultimately hurt us more than anything. If we accuse him without solid proof, it makes us look like idiots. Either way, trying to get revenge will reflect badly on our family and company, not to mention the fact that it will show our enemies where and how to strike us hardest."

Hojo snarled silently, and I had to clench my fists to keep from smacking the look off his face. "You have got to be kidding me Reila. You want us to do nothing all because of how it will reflect on the company? I want that man's head on a platter for daring to take you like that!"

Uncle Sota stood and took a firm hold of Hojo's shoulder. "Hojo, that's enough. Reila is right; as much as I hate to say it, we have to think about the image of our company. By broadcasting that Reila was kidnapped it makes us look weak and invites our enemies to try the same thing again to weaken us. I hate the thought of letting this go, but there are other ways to get back at Pegasus. Reila is a genius when it comes to subtle revenge, I'm sure that she'll think of something. And ultimately it is her revenge, not just ours. She was the one who suffered during this, and although we too have suffered what's important is that Reila is back, and safe once again." Hojo started to respond, but quieted at the fierce look on his father's face. "This will not be the only time that our family will be threatened like this, nor will it be the last – you will face dilemmas much like this when you inherit Sarota Entertainment. There are times to act publicly and loudly, and there are times to react quietly and stealthily."

Hojo ripped his shoulder out of Uncle Sota's grip and looked at all of us in turn, a grimace etched deeply on his face. "I can't believe that you're all putting business before family."

"The family is the business and the business is the family." I reminded Hojo, who scoffed. "Hojo we are a family first and foremost, but all of us have blood, sweat, and tears invested in this company. Are you seriously willing to throw everything you've worked so hard for, all the respect of the board members and our artists just to get back at someone who is already wounded? How would that make us, not just as a company but as a family look? Our reputation with our artists and the public is what makes us so powerful. We cannot risk losing any power, not when our enemies are fighting so hard to take us down."

* * *

Seto's admiration for Reila's thought process doubled as she quietly explained her reasoning to her cousin. He was seeing what made her rumored to be so dangerous to her enemies – Reila's sharp mind and ability to manage the males in her family made her a force to be reckoned with, and he was thankful that she was an ally of his, not an enemy. It wasn't that she was manipulating her cousin or uncle, but more that she was helping them see reason when emotions clouded their judgment. Hojo was fighting it, wanting to hold onto his anger but Reila's words were slowly reaching him, the tension and anger in his body slowly draining as Reila calmed him and soothed his wounded pride.

Her ability to read people and understand what was spurring their actions was a valuable trait, and something that Seto himself used. Reila used the ability to soothe and calm – he used it to egg someone further and further into anger until they made a mistake he could capitalize on. He took a moment to marvel that although he and Reila had many similarities, they also were different enough to be unique compared to one another. She worked behind the scenes in her family and company, enhancing the abilities and power of others while he was the source of power within his own family and company. She wasn't the type to take credit, preferring to stay out of the limelight while he was the one who received all the praise and admiration, along with the malice and envy.

Hojo finally looked away, his shoulders drooping with exhaustion. "Fine Reila... We'll do things your way. But if I have the chance to take down Pegasus-"

"You'll have to get in line. If there' s a chance to take a shot at him, I'm taking it." Seto said, unfolding his arms and legs before standing. "Not only did he kidnap and endanger Mokuba and Reila, he tried to take me out and take over my company. Reila may be right and none of us can retaliate at him now, but if I see the opportunity I won't stop until he's broken and bleeding." Seto ignored Reila's sigh of frustration and instead turned to Sota. The head of the family matched his gaze and nodded subtly in acknowledgment. Seto was not the type to apologize, and Sota seemed to understand that. Mokuba stood as well, knowing that Seto was ready to leave. "I would appreciate it if any word of my board members plotting against me was kept between us."

"You have my word that it will not leave this room, as thanks for returning Reila to us." Sota said, holding out his hand. Seto took it after a moment's pause, shaking it firmly. Sota then turned to Mokuba and gave him a smile, which Mokuba returned. "And you're always welcome here Mokuba. That hasn't changed, nor do I think it ever will. If ever you or your brother need help with anything, we will be there to offer our services."

Mokuba's smile widened. "Thanks Mr. Sota!"

Sota nodded and turned to Reila. "Why don't you see our guests out, and then the three of us can spend the evening together? I'm afraid that we've let our work pile up a little bit, but one more evening won't hurt too much."

"Of course uncle." Reila said, leading Seto and Mokuba out of the room. Once at the front doors, Reila turned to Seto. "I'm sorry about not asking you before about mentioning the board members; I shouldn't have been so careless."

"It's nothing. Your uncle is a man of honor and won't say anything." Seto said, dismissing the apology quickly. Reila had done what she thought best, and it had saved Seto from having to fight with her uncle and Hojo. "You'll have your hands full with them for the foreseeable future."

Reila sighed, leaning against the wall. "Hojo will be the worst part of it. He might see reason now, but I think his pride is even more wounded than mine is. He sees himself as my protector and not being able to get revenge will eat away at him. I'll have to find some project for him to loose his frustrations in until his temper cools down." She rubbed the back of her neck, and the weariness on her face made Seto realize just how hard this meeting had been on her. Keeping her uncle's and cousin's anger from escalating too far, trying to smooth things over, omit and embellish a story on the fly and try and keep himself from loosing too much respect from her family had drained her. Mokuba picked up on it as well and leaned against her, offering her some comfort. She smiled gently at him and bent to hug him before kissing his forehead, an action she repeated often. "But if I can survive being locked in a dungeon I can survive my cousin's attitude."

Nodding in reply, Seto let Mokuba and Reila say their goodbyes before Mokuba went to the car. Seto hesitated, turning back to Reila. "Thank you, for trying to save Mokuba."

Reila smiled, looking over to the car where Mokuba had already climbed in. "I'd do it again, given the chance. Only this time I'd show up with five guards and a maybe even a few thugs to beat the snot out of them." Seto smirked at the response and nodded. "Take care of yourself Seto. Don't do anything rash, and if you need me I'm only a call away."

Nodding again, Seto turned and walked to the car, getting in and checking his watch. This meeting with Reila's family had taken longer than he'd originally planned, and it was too late to head to his office and take out the board members who had plotted against him. They would have headed home by now, and Seto let out a grunt of frustration. His revenge would have to wait until tomorrow, but he could be patient one day longer. After all, as Sota said there were times to act publicly and times to react quietly; another night would give him time to finalize his plans.

* * *

 **Second A/N:** So I know this one was a short chapter, but as this is a kind of filler I didn't want to drag it out too long. I'm aiming to write the next chapter on Thursday and if all goes well I should have it finished by Friday at the very latest, since the next chapter is going to jump right into the next mini-arc of the anime. Come on, you guys know which one I'm talking about!

Mainly I wanted to get this chapter up as soon as possible, as a thank you for being so patient. I should be able to return to weekly updates on Thursdays, and once I get back into my routine things should be much smoother. Thanks again everyone!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Hello everyone! Can I just take a moment and say how wonderful it feels to be back writing? Because it does. I was filling my time with a game called Ingress and I dug out my DS to play some Pokemon, but it just wasn't the same :(

As I said in the last chapter, I know Chapter 10 was kind of short and meh, but it had to be done. Hojo and Sota needed to be fleshed out a bit more and I feel that it resolved most of the drama brought up by the Duelist Kingdom arc, at least on Reila's end. And now, onto the next arc! Or mini arc in this case, since it isn't really that long. I had wanted to get this chapter up Friday, but honestly it's so dialogue heavy that it took me a while, sifting through the episodes to make sure I was getting the dialogue right.

Now this chapter may seemed rushed, but given that the next "arc" is only three episodes long... Yeah I can only stretch that out for so long.

A special shout out to **animagirl** , **Drachegirl14** , **lalalei** , and **kiki56** for reviewing. Thanks for sticking with me and the story! You guys are amazing :3

 **Disclaimer:** **I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

* * *

Chapter 11

After Seto and Mokuba had left the previous night, Hojo and Uncle Sota had spent the rest of the day with me, just the three of us with no work. It's not very often that the three of us can just sit and talk, joke, and be a regular family. We try to have at least one night a week where we all have dinner together and put work aside, but the three of us are so busy with various projects that it's hard to make it happen every week. But at the end of the day we're still a family, and the bond between us is strong. By the end of the night Hojo was his usual joking self, and my uncle was back to being calm and collected without the undercurrent of rage. Some might think he is rather aloof, but the reality is he keeps his emotions guarded and hidden from public view. He shows them more to Hojo and me, but it's hard to let that mask go when you've had to wear it for as long as he has. A corporate CEO doesn't have the luxury of acting on or showing his emotions as most people do. Every move, gesture, and word is judged not just by the public but by the board members, and in our case shareholders. Although our board is loyal to him, it's still best to show that you are in control and not guided by emotions at all times.

When the three of us finally went to bed, I took a moment to check my email and PDA, which Shuuichi had found at Kaiba Corp. after my abduction. I cringed when I saw the sheer volume of emails, messages, and voice mails that I would need to sift through; by day three of my captivity people had begun to question where I was, so Uncle Sota had let a story that I had been slightly injured spread. It was good thinking on his part, as the story would match with the sprained ankle when I returned to work tomorrow. We could spin the story that my ankle had been sprained badly enough to warrant bed rest, and that as CEO he'd ordered me to not work but focus on recovery. There might be a few who would question it further, but if we presented a united front with the same story it would prevent anyone from prying too much. A bulk of the messages and emails would be from our various partners, artists, and workers wishing me a speedy recovery.

Still, I was restless after so much had been going on. I wanted to work, not just on my company projects but also on what was coming in the future. The most immediate threat was Noah. Gozaburo's biological son was out there, lurking and waiting to try and take Seto's body. I couldn't discourage Seto from holding his own tournament, and even if I started learning how to play the game now there was no way I would become skilled enough in such a short time to make a difference. Dueling wasn't an option; it made myself too much of a target, and if someone like Marik were to take control of me, with my knowledge of the future it would be catastrophic. Although Ydor was confident he could match the power of a Millennium Item and keep me safe, I didn't want to risk the slight chance that he could be wrong. But there were other tools I could use to my advantage, other ways that I could try and negate events in the future.

Glancing at the clock and deciding that ultimately it didn't matter what time it was I picked up my phone, dialing a number I'd long since memorized. Listening to the dial tone, I could picture the bright red phone ringing, with it's multitudes of charms dangling from the side. Unless she'd changed the ring tone, it should be Metallica's " _Enter Sandman_ ". As I knew she would, she let the phone ring longer than normal, probably lost in the song before she ultimately answered.

"Is there a reason that you're calling me so late? Well, late for you." A husky feminine voice answered, and I snorted in response. She slept even less than I did. "Look, I haven't gotten any hits on those files you had me plant in your database. No one's taken the bait yet, although there have been multiple people accessing them. But none have copied or moved them anywhere... Yet."

"That's both good to know and disappointing. I'm not a patient person and until someone takes the bait I can't act." Aside from my immediate family, only one other person knew of how I had planned to take out the mole in our company; Jillian Heard, computer expert and one of the few people that I trusted with something like this. I met Jillian at an electronics expo in California that I had attended with my uncle to view the latest recording technology. She'd been eyeing some new computers, and though both of us are the type to not trust others, something about her caught my eye. We met up a few times after that for coffee, and eventually she gained my trust and I hers. Our relationship isn't exactly a friendship, more like a friendly business transaction. If I need something done that involves computers, she offers her assistance – for a price. Not only can she rival Seto when it comes to encryption and strengthening a computer network, she's an expert hacker who lives to break into the unbreakable.

She's also crazy enough to break into any network she can, just to test herself.

That craziness was what I was counting on now. "Does the name Gozaburo Kaiba mean anything to you?"

Jillian hummed in acknowledgment. "Yeah, power hungry slightly insane corporate big-wig. Made a fortune by producing and selling weapons before his adoptive son took over the company and turned it into a gaming giant. Wait, aren't you friends with his son? Or sons since there was two he adopted."

"Yes, but that's... Well actually it is kind of the point. I can't go into the how I know, but Gozaburo adopted Seto and Mokuba only after his biological son had an accident that rendered his body useless." Jillian would keep quiet – the amount of money that she made off of me guaranteed her loyalty and discretion, so I didn't think too much of revealing such a major scandal. "My sources tell me that his son, Noah, was used as an experiment and had his mind uploaded into a super computer. The plan was to find a body suitable to implant his mind into after some more tests and studies were done, but Gozaburo decided to give up that scheme when he realized that Seto is a genius and chose him as the better candidate to inherit the company."

"You know this sounds like some crazy science fiction story, right?" Jillian said, but I could tell by her voice that she was intrigued. The idea of uploading your mind into a super computer was something that would fascinate her to no end, and I could practically hear the anticipation to study it in her voice. "So what does this have to do with me?"

"If my sources are right, it would be a major blow to Kaiba Corp. to have a biological child come forth and claim that he should rightfully run the company. If he's found a way to continue the research to implant himself into another body..."

"He could return and try to take down Kaiba Corp. Which, considering your friendship with the current CEO would be a very bad thing for you." Jillian finished, and I gave her a moment to think it over. "You realize that my cost will double since I'm working on two simultaneous projects for you, right?"

"When it comes to protecting my friends cost isn't a problem. Those two are the first real friends I've ever had and I won't stand by and see them hurt because of some kid's tantrum." I suppose I should feel bad for Noah, but I don't – he's a threat to my friends that I want removed now. "But the first thing I need done is finding the data banks his mind has been transferred into. I don't know where they'd be located; Seto would have had them destroyed if they were within Kaiba Corp. so I'm assuming that they're elsewhere."

"You're talking to a freaking computer genius over here, Reila. There isn't a network in existence that I can't find or get into." I smiled into the phone, knowing that Jillian would handle things from here. "You want me to take a peek into Kaiba Corp.'s network just to be sure?"

I bit my lip in thought, going over the pros and cons quickly. Jillian was good, but if Seto found out and traced her to me... "No, better to leave them be. I haven't told Seto about any of this, and it's best that I handle this quietly and without his knowledge. He'd never believe me and with the amount of pressure he's under right now he'll think that I'm trying to sabotage him or worse. If you need anything you have my number."

"I think I'll be alright. But if anything changes I'll let you know. And don't forget, payments have doubled." She hung up the phone as I laughed – she could afford to buy three houses with all the money I'd paid her but instead still lived in a tiny studio apartment. All the money she made went into her electronics, which she called her babies. But despite the cost she was well worth it.

Sighing and feeling better that I'd set into motion a way to take down one threat before it popped up, I sat back in my chair and stretched, letting out a satisfied grunt when my back cracked. Tomorrow I would go through my workload and figure out what I could do from home and what I would need to take care of in the office. Uncle Sota wanted me to go see our family doctor Dr. Yukiko tomorrow, just to make sure that Dr. Juhei hadn't missed anything. I thought it was unnecessary but to ease his mind I would. I was a little vague on when exactly the next tournament would be, but it would be a while considering that Seto needed to upgrade and mass produce his Duel Disc system. If I had to take a guess, it would be somewhere around four to five months before that mess came up; plenty of time to heal and hopefully Jillian would have everything ready by that point.

 _ **Why not let things play out as they are meant to?**_

 _Because that would mean leaving my friends to have to relive the horror that was their childhood under Gozaburo's 'care'. I didn't change that part of their fate, but dammit I'm going to do what I can to change it so that they don't have to relive that again._ Ydor has the ability to shield me from the Millennium Items yes, but I didn't want to rely on his powers to try and shield Mokuba and Seto. Besides, Noah wasn't using an Item, so that meant that I needed to do the leg work to try and protect them myself.

 _ **If I may give you a piece of advice, you should allow things to play out as they are meant to. When you begin to tamper with fate, you are courting the wrath of the fates.**_

 _There's no harm in our bypassing this part of the story. The only thing I would be doing is permanently deleting Noah's mind, along with Gozaburo's and the Big Five's which would happen regardless. But if Jillian can find the data base before the tournament begins, I can take them out of the picture before they cause any further psychological damage to my friends._

Ydor was silent for a moment. _**You are willing to sacrifice the mind and souls of seven people to protect your friends?**_

I winced at the tone of Ydor's voice, but my resolve was set. _Noah is misguided yes, his actions fueled by jealousy and abandonment from his father. But to me, Noah is just a character in a story; Seto and Mokuba are real people. To protect those that I care about, there is almost nothing that I wouldn't do._

Ydor's questioning my motives actually made me a little uncomfortable, bringing to light that in this life I was much more ruthless than I ever was in my previous life. Before I'd been murdered I was actually a fairly mild, friendly person. However, years of being shafted by life and protecting my family and company had hardened me. I had sworn at my mother's funeral that I wouldn't leave my fate to others any longer, and if that meant that I needed to get my hands dirty and suffer momentary guilt over destroying someone, then it was a price I was willing to pay.

 _ **If this is truly the path you will take, I wish you all the best. I will offer what assistance I can, as always.**_

Ydor's willingness to help me, even after voicing concerns made me smile gratefully. I couldn't let the guilt or possibility of guilt stop me; I needed to protect Mokuba and Seto as much as was possible in the future. Sitting forward again, I opened my email and began reading through them; I probably wasn't going to be able to wind down for a while, so I might as well do something productive while I waited to hear from Jillian or became sleepy, whichever happened first.

* * *

The next day I spent at the corporate office, something my uncle had surprisingly been alright with. Wearing wide legged slacks helped hide the boot, while Uncle Sota and Hojo felt better having me close and surrounded by our corporate security force. It also gave me a chance to reconnect with our workers, since I hadn't had the time to physically come into the office. Everyone was full of cheerful good wishes and glad to see that I'd come back to work, while I smiled and thanked them for their concern.

The day had actually been rather productive, and had sped by amazingly quick. I had wanted to call Mokuba or Seto and ask how his confrontation with the executives went, but I'd been so busy all day that I hadn't had a chance to do it. Instead I'd rushed from one meeting to the next, in between sitting in on a few recording sessions. Yumi was coming out with a new album within the next year, and she liked for me to sit in on her recording sessions to see if there was anything that I thought should be changed or added. It felt good to be back doing what I knew best; music and artist management.

As the day came to an end, clouds rolled in lightning streaked across the sky, promising rain. I stood for a moment in my office, overlooking the city below; even now I still love the sound of rain, flashes of lightning and rumble of thunder. Storms to me are energizing, exhilarating, and make me feel like I'm me ready to face anything. Sighing happily as the rain began to fall, I gathered my things into my briefcase and made my way downstairs to the waiting car that would take me home. Uncle and Hojo were staying at the office to finalize the plans for the next shareholder's meeting, where we would introduce future projects and projected revenue for the upcoming year. It is probably one of the most important meetings we have throughout the year and everything needed to be perfect in order to impress the shareholders and have their continued support.

Sarota Entertainment is one of the few publicly traded record companies in Japan, something that makes us both more powerful and more vulnerable. If our shareholders lose trust in us, we lose capital until we have nothing. But, the more shareholders we have and the more they trust us, the more power we have and the more our influence grows; especially when those shareholders bring in millions of yen with them. Although my family might be the face of Sarota and we wield the power of it, the shareholders are what hand us the power to wield. So in the grand scheme of things, keeping the shareholders happy and interested in our company was one of the most important things we do throughout the year. Uncle Sota was a master at keeping them happy, entertained, and interested – which was something that he was passing onto Hojo. As the future CEO of the company, he was under the microscope in almost every corporate function, but he was a remarkable young man that was already showing signs of sharing the same genius that my uncle had. He has charisma, charm, now if he could just keep his emotions from getting the best of him at times... He's gotten much better lately, but there are still times when either his anger takes over, or his sense of humor shows up in the wrong situations. Although I personally adore his humor, it's not always appreciated by other people.

Stepping out the front doors, I used my briefcase to shield my hair as I quickly stepped to the car. Well, as quickly as I could with my boot that is. Once settled in Shuuichi pulled the car away from the curb, making our way to the estate slowly through the rain. It was taking longer than normal to get home, as there was an accident in the middle of town. Thankfully it looked like no one was seriously hurt, but it was still holding up traffic enough to make me impatient. Sitting forward, I looked over Shuuichi's shoulder and eyed the roads. "Shuuichi, isn't there a back road that you can take? I don't want to be stuck waiting here forever." Nodding his head in acknowledgment he took a left and began winding his way down surface streets. Looking out the window, something about the scenery was nagging at the back of my mind, almost like deja vu. Frowning to myself I pinched the bridge of my nose, trying to get rid of the feeling. I was missing something, I could feel it in my gut. Sighing I rubbed a hand down my face and looked out the window, where the Moto's game shop had just come into view.

Something about the sight of it eased the feeling, but it didn't fully go away. "Shuuichi, wait. I need to stop in that store for a moment."

Shuuichi looked at me from the rear view mirror, slowing down to a stop. "Ms. Sarota, what business could you possibly have in a store like that?"

Granted, the store did not really match my usual MO, and I have never touched any type of game aside from solitaire or the occasional round of poker. Video games, card games... Those were things that I just didn't have time for in this life. And unlike Seto, my company doesn't revolve around gaming. But still, something about the shop was calling to me... "The grandfather of an acquaintance was recently released from the hospital. Since we're right here, I thought I'd stop in and ask how he's doing."

Shuuichi looked skeptical, but eventually pulled the car to the curb. Taking the umbrella that he offered to me, I opened the door and stepped out, stopping in the doorway to shake off the umbrella before entering the shop, the bell above the door chiming happily.

Five faces turned to look at me, and if I was anyone other than me, I would have probably felt very uncomfortable. However I squared my shoulders back and walked in slowly, casting an eye around the place. Solomon Moto had done a rather nice job arranging the interior and displaying his wares, and I briefly scanned them as I made my way towards the front of the store where Yugi, Tea, Joey, Tristan, and Solomon stood watching me with open mouths.

"Reila... What are you doing here?" Yugi asked, stepping forward and taking the lead in the conversation. I suppose it made sense, given that he was the sort of leader of this little group.

"I happened to be in the neighborhood and thought I would stop in and say thank you again for all your help." I said, glancing at his grandfather. Solomon seemed to have made a full recovery and smiled pleasantly at me. I was unsure exactly how much Yugi had told his grandfather and so chose not say too much, in case he'd kept the truth from his grandfather.

"How's your ankle?" Tristan asked, glancing down at the boot and giving us a chance to change the subject.

"Very well, thank you. The doctor's think that I should be fully healed in a month at the most. It looked worse than it was, although it's still pretty bad." I said, smiling pleasantly. "And you, Mr. Moto? I heard that you weren't feeling well. I trust you've made a full recovery?"

Solomon seemed surprised, but I could see the spark of recognition in his eyes; he knew the truth, and he knew that I knew. Smiling he nodded and assured me that he was indeed fully recovered and felt better than ever. I was actually very happy to hear the news, but made sure to keep my demeanor mild and pleasant.

The silence between us stretched out a little uncomfortably, but I wasn't too surprised by it; I didn't have anything in common with these people, and I certainly wasn't going to suddenly develop a deep meaningful relationship with them. But it would make things... Smoother in the future if I could at least be on a friendly acquaintance status with all of them. "I apologize for coming unannounced, I was on my way back from the Sarota office and just thought I'd drop in."

Tea smiled brightly, and opened her mouth to say something when the door slammed open, all six of us turning and standing in shock for a silent moment, staring at Mokuba standing slumped against the doorway. He was breathing heavily, and drenched from the downpour outside. Lifting his eyes, he focused on Yugi. "Please... Please help me."

It felt like my body was moving on it's own, because I was at Mokuba's side before I even realized what I was doing. Seeing me, his eyes widened as he hugged me tightly, his little body shivering from the cold. Yugi and Solomon ushered him upstairs, and in a moment they had him wrapped in a thick blanket and have given him a cup of warm to to get the chill off of him. I sat next to him, one arm wrapped protectively around his shoulders as he explained that Seto had become trapped in a virtual reality game that he'd designed, but the executive officers who had tried to take over the company with Pegasus had rewritten the programming so that he couldn't leave it.

I stayed quiet, partially to let him speak and unload some of his worry, but also partially because I was pissed. I'd completely forgotten about the Legendary Heroes arc, and had let Seto go face those two-faced jerks on his own. I'd been so focused on the threats of Noah, Marik, and Dartz that I'd overlooked this part. And Seto, who for once hadn't thought things through clearly had willingly walked right into a trap. He'd allowed his ego to get the better of him, _again_ , and had left Mokuba in a dangerous position, _**again.**_

I'm going to beat the snot out of him once he's back in his body.

"So you're saying the only way Kaiba can escape is by winning the game?" Yugi asked, clearly shocked. They had never heard of such a thing before; until this point this world had never encountered something like this. I had the luxury of knowledge, and came from a world where such a plot line was quite common. There had been multiple shows and movies with a similar plot line in my first life so although the reality of it was odd, the concept wasn't.

"But if those creeps reprogram the entire adventure just to keep Kaiba trapped there, how is that possible?" Tea asked, having perched herself on one of the ottomans. Yugi sat on the other side of Mokuba, while Joey and Tristan stood on either end of the couch. Reading their body language it was a defensive gesture, showing that they had subconsciously decided to help and protect Mokuba already. Perhaps failing to keep him safe on the island was spurring them into action, but I think it's more of an inherit trait that the two share.

"I don't know, but I thought... I thought you could help." Mokuba said, staring into his tea. Leaning my head against his damp hair, I offered him comfort which he took, scooting closer even as he fought to remain in control of his emotions. Looking over his head at Yugi, I could see determination forming in his eyes, even as his grandfather assured Mokuba that they would help. "Now tell us more about this Virtua-pod your brother was designing."

"I don't know much, I was pretty young when he started it. I remember is him spending countless hours working on the prototypes, trying to make it perfect." Mokuba said, still looking into his tea.

"Prototypes? So there are other ones?" Joey asked, frowning in concentration. Although I'd known of the existence of them, giving Joey a moment to show that he could actually pay attention to details and come up with solutions kept me silent; Joey's not dumb, and although he can be irritating at times he does have a big heart, and his ability to care for people is something that can be admired. As everyone began talking about the plan to help Seto, I spoke up for the first time since Mokuba had arrived.

"I'm coming too."

Everyone turned to me and stared, trying to comprehend what I had just said. Tristan and Tea exchanged worried looks while Yugi's eyes darted to my boot. "Reila..."

"Look, I appreciate the concern about my ankle but I'm not a freaking china doll, Yugi." I said, my irritation at Seto and myself coming out and making me snap at the boy. "Seto is my friend and although I know you will do all you can to help him, I'm done sitting around waiting to see if everything turns out okay. I'm going with Mokuba and all of you to make sure that Seto is brought back, and if you think you can stop me then you don't know me very well."

Mokuba grinned for the first time since he'd arrived. "She's right, there isn't much you can do to stop her. Besides, I want her there – Reila might not know computers like my brother, but she's still a genius and can pick out details most other people miss."

I smiled warmly at Mokuba and had him finish the tea; the sooner we got going the better. The other four seemed to accept the idea that I was going quickly enough, but I still had to figure out a way to convince them that I was going to be doing more than just hanging around and waiting for them to rescue Seto.

As everyone grabbed umbrellas and began running towards Kaiba Corp., Yugi's grandfather and I shared an amused look; they were so ready to go that they'd forgotten one tiny detail. "Hey guys?" I called, stopping them all in their tracks. Hiking a thumb over my shoulder, I pointed towards my car. "Why run when we can ride?"

* * *

To say that Shuuichi wasn't happy with me would be an understatement. His orders from my uncle had been that I go directly home, no other stops without Uncle Sota's permission. But it had taken less than a minute to get him to agree; Mokuba's puppy eyes could melt the heart of just about anyone. Added onto that, I assured Shuuichi that he could accompany me this time, something that actually worked in our favor. Shuuichi was larger and stronger than Tristan and Joey, and if Kemo showed his creepy mug I knew Shuuichi would avenge me.

"This is it, my brother's personal laboratory." Mokuba said as we arrived, before darting out of the car and scaling the gates so we could pull the car in. I bit my tongue on lecturing him for his reckless behavior, but after this was over I was going to have a serious talk about climbing over slick metal in the pouring rain. I swear the child is just as reckless as his older brother. Between the two of them I feel like I'm going to have gray hair by the time I'm thirty.

Mokuba guided Shuuichi to the building we needed, and while they were occupied I turned to the others. "Forgive me for sounding rude, but I need your words that you will not say anything about what you see here." The four of them look confused, so I continued. "Anything that you see such as future projects, prototypes, or programs is to be kept confidential. Understood?"

"Hey now, we're the one's helping you out. Why are you suddenly threatening us?" Tristan asked, frowning at me.

"I'm not threatening you, and yes Mokuba and I are very grateful that you're helping – But Seto is going to flip a lid when he finds out we've been here. Yes it's to rescue him and not to steal from him, but you have to understand how protective he is of his projects. I've known both Mokuba and Seto for years, and even I don't know about half the things that he's working on here. It's less a matter of trust and more a matter of keeping him calm about us being here. If I tell him that you've all given me your words, he knows that I'll ensure that nothing gets leaked to his rivals."

"So, what you're saying is that by giving our word that we won't reveal anything, you're taking responsibility for bringing us here." Tea said, her eyes wide.

"Exactly. If Seto wants to get mad let him get mad at me. Besides," I said, opening the door as we came to a stop, "I've got a few choice words for him when this is all over." I wasn't lying about that, I was truly furious at Seto. How could he trust those five jackasses after they'd tried to not only take over his company, but had tried to kill him? Seto is a freaking genius at times but in this instance he'd allowed his ego to do the thinking for him, not his mind. Not only that but this is twice, **twice** now that his actions have placed Mokuba in danger. It sounds to me like he needs a freaking reality check, and I'm more than happy at this point to do it.

Mokuba led us quickly inside, down the maze like hallways until we came to the right door. "There they are." He said, and over his head I spotted three purple pods connected to a generator.

"Those are the prototypes? Wow!" Mokuba made his way to the control panel and smiled, claiming that these were the exact models that Seto had used. As Joey commented on the fact that there were only three pods, I sidestepped the little wrestling match between him and Tristan, managing to pluck Joey's deck from his belt before making my way to one of the pods.

"Hey wait, that's my deck!" Joey called out, turning to me. "What did ya do that for Reila?"

"Because you were too busy arguing with Tristan to hear me; I'm going with Mokuba." I said, holding up the cards. "And since I need a dueling deck to go into the game, I'm borrowing yours."

"Reila, I don't know... You've never dueled before." Mokuba said, biting his lip in thought.

"Look I may not be a duelist but I get the basics; the monster with the higher attack points generally wins, unless there's a spell or trap involved. You and Yugi know enough about Duel Monsters to help me, and I know enough about duel monsters to not be a complete novice after spending so much time with you and your brother. Besides, you know as well as I do that the minute we launch these pods and enter the game, there's a good chance that those idiots who trapped Seto in the first place will try and stop us. Joey can actually fight and run at this point; my injury makes me a liability if I'm left behind."

"But won't the injury channel through into the game?" Tristan asked, looking to Mokuba.

"I don't think so. My brother wanted everyone to be able to enjoy the game, including those with disabilities or injuries. So I think her ankle should be fine in-game."

Turning to Joey, I sighed. "Look, I'm very grateful that you want to help Seto so much, given that the two of you don't get along that well. But if there's a chance that I can help my friends then I'm taking it, and I'm not going to let anything stop me. Will you lend me your deck so I can do that? Yugi knows your deck well enough to help me, and from what I've heard you've got a few strong monsters in here."

I could practically hear Joey's internal groan of defeat; I'd played the friend card, something that I knew would make him cave. Although I admire his dedication to his friends and how highly he values friendship, I knew that it was also his biggest weakness. He'd do anything to help out someone who was trying to rescue a friend. Besides that, I'd flattered his ego a little by praising his monsters. Although it wasn't the Blue Eyes White Dragon, his Red Eyes would come in handy. When he nodded, I smiled gratefully. "Thank you Joey."

Making my way to the pod that Shuuichi had opened, I smiled to ease the worry on his face. "Don't worry Shuuichi, I'll be fine. You just make sure that no one gets into this room before we get back, alright?"

"Ms. Sarota, I don't like the idea of you putting yourself at risk like this." He said, his hands tightening into fists.

"Tell you what, if you want to take out your frustrations on someone look for a sunglasses wearing idiot named Kemo; he's the one who split my lip, so if you could return the favor I'd be grateful." I said, smiling cheerfully. Shuuichi barely held back a snort of laughter, but I could see the truth in his eyes; he was going to comb this place looking for Kemo to get revenge for me. Satisfied that I'd have that particular news waiting for me, I settled back into the seat.

"You guys had better be careful." Tea said, looking between the three of us. Although I find her immensely annoying at times, Tea's one redeeming quality is her love for her friends. Maybe that's why I've always tried to steer away from her, given that she's only given that one trait in the show. It's not a bad trait at all, but it's definitely one that needs something else to go with it. Who knows, maybe if I talk to her a little more I'd find out more about her personality.

"Don't you worry about a thing. We'll have Kaiba rescued in no time." Yugi said brightly, and Mokuba explained how to launch the program to Tristan. As the capsule lid closed, I tightened my hands into fists; this time around, I wasn't going to sit in the background. I'm taking control this time, and I'm going to make this as quick and painless as possible.

I just hoped that my ego wasn't clouding my judgment.

* * *

The transition from real world to virtual world was actually easy and painless, although I could have done without the light show and dramatic buildup. I'm a simple girl with simple tastes, most days anyway. Landing lightly on my feet, I took a moment to study the area around me; it was so lifelike that I had to remind myself that it was a game, not a real forest. Yugi and Mokuba had arrived at the exact same moment as I had, and the three of us began walking, duel decks strapped to our wrists. My main thought though that I had been right; the sprained ankle hadn't transferred into the game, so I was free to walk and run as I pleased.

"I'm glad I've got my dueling deck with me, but this life point count makes me a bit nervous." Yugi said, frowning at the device. "I mean, I know what happens in a video game when you lose a life, But I wonder what happens here. Kind of a scary thought."

"I understand your worry, but I doubt that Seto would have programmed a fatal outcome like that." I said from behind him. "The real concern is whether his corporate officers will have reprogrammed that aspect of it. I doubt that they would have had the time, but better to be safe than sorry. We'll just make sure that none of our life points reach zero." Yugi nodded in agreement as we came upon a graveyard.

"Whoa! Speaking of scary..." Mokuba mumbled as we made our way deeper into the graveyard. I shivered as I eyed the tombstones.

"I swear Mokuba, your brother needs more sunshine and rainbows in his life... What with creepy clown cards in his deck and now this? Either he's just that imaginative or he needs help." I said, causing Mokuba to laugh loudly. Even Yugi let out a chuckle or two while we steadily made our way through.

"It's hard to believe all of this is virtual and not real." Yugi said, walking bravely through the swirling mists.

"When Seto works on a project it's never half-done; he's an all or nothing kind of guy." I said absently, eyeing the clear sky. "Although I think he might have surpassed even his expectations with this particular program. All five senses can be used, and I'm pretty sure that -" my words were cut off by the sound of breaking stone, and turning quickly I found a freaking zombie samurai coming at me.

I did not scream like a girl; I did however call out for Yugi and Mokuba to warn them. At my shout, two more zombies joined the first one, a purple dragon and a clown. Taking a step back, I eyed the numbers above their heads. Their attack powers were strong, but they have no defensive points. If I could just remember...

Yugi and Mokuba summoned their monsters, and attacked as I became lost in thought. As the zombies reformed, it came to me. "Yugi! If I activate Sword and Shield, you can take them out in one shot, right?"

"Uh, yeah that would do it." Yugi said, blinking at me in surprise. Smirking smugly, I pulled the card from the deck and held it up, activating it and watching as the zombies all switched to having no attack strength. One blast from the Dark Magician and it was over.

"Wow Reila, that was some quick thinking!" Mokuba said, jogging to my side. Even Yugi looked impressed as he joined us, and I tugged on a curl as I tried to think of a way to explain my thinking.

"Well it seemed the most logical choice; if a monster has no attack points it wouldn't harm us, and if your monsters can take it out for good even better. Besides, I wanted that freaking clown out of here as quickly as possible." I said, shivering as Mokuba stooped to gather the cards that had dropped. "I mean seriously, what is with your brother and creepy clowns?"

Mokuba started to laugh, but a different giggle caught my attention. Looking around, I saw a trail of glitter behind a tombstone and approached slowly. I remember the little sprite from the show, and I remember it being helpful and shy. But this time around, she spotted me and made her way to me quickly, nuzzling her face against my cheek in an affectionate gesture before perching happily on my shoulder, wrapping one of my curls around her like a blanket.

"Uh Reila, who's your friend? Or what is your friend?" Yugi asked, tilting his head up to get a better look.

"I honestly don't know. I heard her giggling and came to see what it was and well..." The fairy giggled again and made a chiming sound, starting to fly and gesture for us to follow her. "Wait, aren't there some games that have little helpers like her, to show the players what to do next?"

"You're right! Let's follow her." Mokuba said, leading the way. The fairy flew slowly, making sure that we were always within sight as we wound our way through the forest. At the end of the trail she hovered in place, waiting for us to join her. Once we did, she returned right back to my shoulder instead of flying off, something that made me raise an eyebrow.

"I think she likes you Reila." Yugi said, smiling at the fairy. In return the fairy chimed happily, and I shrugged the shoulder that she wasn't sitting on.

"Well if she wants to hang around I won't stop her. She's cute, and light enough to not be in the way and she could help us in the future." Mokuba called us over to the ledge, where we could see a town at the bottom of the cliff. The three of us decided that the town was where we were supposed to go next, and made our way down a new path that led to the bottom.

The good thing about being in the virtual world is that you don't get tired from so much walking like you would in real life. Plus Seto had included standard video game logic, meaning that long distances could be covered fairly quickly; what would have taken us hours in the real world only took a matter of minutes. Along the way Mokuba, Yugi and I went over what course of action we would take next, but without any clues we didn't really know what our next move would be. So we agreed to search the town for clues, while avoiding as many side quests as possible.

The town was bustling with virtual people, some peddling wares typical of a village including food, tools, and clothing while others sold items meant for the game, including Duel Monsters cards. But given that they cost 2000 points and we'd gotten five from defeating the zombies, we passed those quickly enough and concentrated instead on finding clues about Seto's whereabouts. The three of us split up and combed the town, but every virtual person I encountered had little to no information that could help me. As I continued on, I noticed that many people were looking at me in awe, like I was some kind of celebrity that they knew. I was used to the look in the real world, but their looks and whispers, combined with the fact that the fairy had stuck around with us instead of going off like she had in the canon story line made me wonder if there was something more to this than what I knew from my memories.

Glancing at the fairy perched happily on my shoulder, I raised an eyebrow. "So, can you offer any help?" Her response was a giggle and merry little chime, but she stayed seated on my shoulder and offered no help. "Well there goes that idea." I mumbled, making my way to the fountain in the center of town, our designated meeting place. Yugi was already there, and with neither of us having found anything we waited for Mokuba to appear, hoping that he'd found something useful.

"You guys, I got a great lead!" Mokuba called out as he came into view. He pointed in the distance towards a snow-capped mountain range. "See that mountain? Well an old woman I was talking to said that she saw a man with a prisoner headed there this morning. Supposedly, there's some kind of ancient temple at the top, and the only way to get there is by crossing this desert." Mokuba said, his eyes shining with excitement.

"Right, so we cross the desert and then... Wait, Mokuba wait for us!" Yugi called, and took off after Mokuba who was already running straight into the desert. I sighed and rolled my eyes; I remembered this part well, we couldn't cross on foot. The other two were too far away for me to call them back, and I wasn't about to go traipsing across the desert for no reason. Walking back towards one of the houses, I sat on the porch and waited for the inevitable.

An old man came out to join me just as Yugi and Mokuba appeared, and he gave me a knowing look before sitting down on his chair. Standing up and brushing off my slacks, I walked over and made sure that neither of them were hurt before gently shaking them awake.

"Reila, how come you stayed behind? I thought you wanted to help Seto!" Once he'd fully woken up Mokuba turned his frustrations on me, and I scowled in response.

"Mokuba, when is anything in a game as simple as that?" I asked, and his anger seemed to die out. "If you'd waited just a moment I would have told you that I overheard someone in the town saying that you can't cross the desert on foot; you need a special card in order to get across."

The old man laughed at my words, and the three of us turned to look at him. "The sorceress is right! You need some of those desert-crossin' Niwatori chickens!" I exchanged a puzzled look with Yugi and Mokuba, mouthing the word sorceress in confusion.

"Oh, you mean the Niwatori card." Yugi said, looking back to the desert. The sand twister that had brought them back could still be seen in the distance, and I was momentarily lost in trying to figure out the physics of how such a phenomenon could transport someone. "Thanks mister. Could you please tell us where we could go to get a card?"

"I wish I could, but they can't be got. They can only be won." The man's cheerful smile was making me lose my patience, but I kept my temper under control. Although this arc had always been a guilty pleasure of mine, since it allowed Mokuba to really flex his wings and show that he was capable of taking care of himself, I wanted to get this over with quickly – I was still pissed at Seto and the first chance I got I'm letting him know just how much of an idiot he can be at times. Not to mention the longer we took, the greater the chance that the goon squad might pull the plug on the pods.

"Where can we win the card old man?" I asked, cutting to the chase.

"Well you see it's a prized bird, especially around here." The old man was speaking in riddles, and although I normally enjoy word games I wasn't in the mood for them today. Turning away from the cryptic geezer, Mokuba suggested we check the card stands in town. All of us agreed it was our best shot and set off once more into the town. We checked every stall, but none of them had the Niwatori card that we needed. It was a frustrating situation, and I was ready to put my fist through a wall before I remembered that we needed to beat the champion in the arena to win the prize.

Leaving Mokuba and Yugi talking, I made my way to the announcement and read it over. "Hey guys? Looks like we'll need to enter a contest to get it." Yugi and Mokuba joined me, reading over the announcement themselves.

"A prized bird. So that's what the old man meant!" Yugi said, putting the pieces together. Making our way to the coliseum, I realized that we would need to figure out who was entering. I was out, since I needed Yugi and Mokuba's help in order to use Joey's deck effectively, and if memory serves me right Mai Valentine was the current champion and would join our little band after helping us outsmart the battle chief or whoever was running the show.

"Yugi, I think you should be the one to enter. I'm no use on my own, and I'm worried that Seto's monsters might be flagged and overusing it might cause some kind of alarm to go off inside the system." I said, and both of them agreed it was the best idea. Once we got before the battle chief, I was glad we'd come up with a game plan before getting here; the way he eyed me made my skin crawl, and stating that I was a healer and supporting fighter only seemed to take his lecherous eyes off me fast enough. Yugi put on the cape and pig mask – which I did my best not to giggle at, I really did but once the fairy got started it was impossible not to laugh – and made his way to the arena while Mokuba and I went to the stands to watch the match.

"Reila, are you sure it's alright to leave things up to Yugi like this?" Mokuba asked as he overlooked the crowd.

"It's really the only choice we have Mokuba. Like I said, I'm worried that overusing your brother's deck will cause an alarm within the system – it's what I would do if I were trying to trap someone here forever." I said plainly, and Mokuba barely flinched; he was too used to the shady side of business to even question why I would think about something like that. "And on my own I don't trust my skills to be good enough to take down a champion in this world. Given that there's a life point counter it's best to use our strongest player in this situation, which happens to be Yugi right now."

"Still, it seems... I don't know, kind of weird to be sitting on the sidelines when it's my brother who's in trouble." Mokuba said, and his real frustration became clear to me. He wanted to be the one to rescue Seto, not rely on others to do it for him.

"You're doing the best that you can, Mokuba. Sometimes we have to take a step back and let someone else do the fighting for us. But the important thing is that you were the one who went for help and you're the one who's led us this far." As Yugi came out, I had to bite my lip from laughing again. "At times you're going to have to fight your own battles, but remember that choosing the battle and the conditions on which it's fought are also skills of a leader."

Mokuba contemplated my words while Mai – or Madame Butterfly as she was known here – came out into the arena. Another reason for choosing Yugi to battle? Mai knew him and would call off her attacks, just like she had with Joey in the canon story. Or at least, I was placing my bet on that outcome.

I only hoped that I was right.

But as the duel began, and puns about pigs and bacon were flying left and right from Mai, Yugi must have realized who it was on his own because he took off his mask, causing Mai to call off her own attack and take her mask off, beginning to speak to him. I couldn't hear what they were saying over the mumbles from the spectators, but I had a oretty good idea what they were saying to one another. Nodding to Mokuba, the two of us jumped down and ran over to meet them as the two spoke.

"Mokuba, Reila... I'm testing this game for some suits at Kaiba Corp. But what are you doing here?" Mai said, clearly puzzled.

"Look Mai, you could be in danger. Those suits kidnapped Seto and are holding him inside this game; he's in a temple across the desert but we need that Niwatori card to get there." I said quickly, eyeing the restless crowd around us. They were looking awfully upset about the match being segued, and I wasn't keen on sticking around and finding out what pain felt like in the virtual world.

Mai studied meas Yugi and Mokuba eyed the crowd, who was growing increasingly restless. "Well, I'm not so sure about crossing a desert, but I'm over this place..."

"We'd love your help Mai, but we need that Niwatori card." I said, moving to stand beside her and eyeing the distance. "How good is your Harpie Lady with that thing?" I asked, gesturing to the rose whip that her monster had clutched in her clawed hand.

"Reila, I always knew that you and I thought along similar lines." Mai said, winking and ordering her Harpie Lady into action. The whip lashed out, taking hold of the card and a tug from the Harpie had the card safely in Mai's hand. "Run for it!" She called, taking off her cape and leading us in a mad dash to the exit.

As we ran, I glanced behind us and saw the crowd getting closer as they chased us through the streets. "You know, I kind of wish that we'd thought to throw up the Mirror Force _before_ we'd left the arena!"

"Why didn't I think of that?" Mai asked, grinning over her shoulder. "Does anyone have a trap card that could help with crowd control?"

"Joey's deck does! Reila, activate the Trap Hole!" Yugi called, panting heavily. Reaching into the deck, I found the card and turned around, holding it up and activating the trap. As the giant hole formed and the crowd went tumbling in, I felt guilty for exactly half a sedond; they were just virtual people after all. Smirking across the hole, I turned and darted after the others, making our way steadily to the edge of the desert.

These chickens better have what it takes to cross after all this effort to get them. Thankfully, for whatever reason the Niwatori were able to easily cross once Mai summoned them, and the four of us made our way across the desert at a good pace. I still thought it was a stupid plot point, but hey we got Mai as another companion out of the deal, and we would need her Harpie's Pet Dragon later. "So Mai, you were paid to come here and test out the game?" I asked from my spot in the middle of our little chicken-train line.

"That's right, on my way back from Duelist Kingdom. They said they had some brand new virtual game that needed to be tested and that they'd pay me for my time." She said, shrugging. "I figured it was easy money so why not?"

"It was most likely to test how the game would work for when they tricked Seto into it." I mumbled, moving my hair to shield the fairy still perched on my shoulder. She smiled gratefully at me and I grinned back, but a shout of alarm from Mokuba drew our attention to the giant monster that had appeared.

"We're never gonna get past that!" Mokuba said, but I am so done with this desert and being on this chicken that I spurred mine forward, reaching into Joey's deck.

"Red Eyes Black Dragon, attack! Inferno Fire Blast!" As the monster formed and took down the sandstorm monster, everyone turned to look at me with wide eyes. "What? I'm sick of this desert and even I know that a monster with 2400 attack points beats one with only 1300 attack points."

"I don't think I've ever seen you jump into action like that before Reila." Mokuba said, blinking in surprise.

"Look, your brother managed to get his mind captured within his own game because he's a freaking moron who can't seem to think without his ego getting in the way at times. I just want to get him out of this game as quickly as possible so that I can personally slap him upside the head for being so gullible." I said, turning the Niwatori I was riding towards the others. "If he wants to play fast and loose with his life then the least he could do is consider how others will feel about it!"

Mai nudged her mount closer to mine. "Reila... You're scared, aren't you?" She asked quietly, and I looked away quickly. Yes, I was scared; although I knew how things played out, it was getting harder and harder to think rationally when my friends were in danger, to remember the outcomes. Yugi, Tristan, Joey, Tea, even Mai... To me they were still characters in a story. Characters that I knew, but I don't care for them the same way that I do Mokuba and Seto. Those two... I don't think that I've ever seen them as just characters. Maybe it was because I've known them for so long, or maybe it was all the time we spent together when we were children but they weren't characters to me, they were real. They're my friends, and one had managed to get himself trapped in a virtual world just days after getting his soul back.

"I'll admit, I'm terrified. Seto just got through that whole incident on Pegasus's island, and now he's trapped in his own game?" I turned back to Mai, struggling to keep my emotions leashed. "And the worst part is that all of this could have been avoided if he'd thought with his brain, not his ego. But no, Seto just had to be the first and best no matter what, even at such a high cost! Sometimes I just want to throttle him into the ground, even when I know what drives him to continually be at the top." I sighed wearily, rubbing my forehead. "I'm so angry at him for endangering Mokuba again, and for endangering himself..."

"Sometimes friends get mad at each other. The important thing right now is that we get Kaiba and Mokuba out of here safely, then we worry about putting people in their places." Mai said, smiling at me. I returned the smile with a small one of my own. "Besides, I'd love to see the look on Kaiba's face when he realizes that a friend who isn't even a duelist and a girl who technically works for his company had to come in and rescue his rich butt."

I laughed at the thought; once we got through this I would never let Seto live that down. Ever.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Hey guys, Panda here. So as some of you guessed, I threw Reila into the Legendary Heroes mini-arc! I call it a mini-arc because it was only three episodes. It's one of my favorites from the anime but honestly I can't really stretch it out any further than three chapters. And I do realize that I'm skipping a sizeable chunk of it, but honestly detailing action scenes is NOT my strong point. I'm more of a thinking/emotion exploring writer, ya know? There will be some filler chapters after this, not too many though because then we're on to Battle City, and I'm so excited for it!

So now that the laptop fiasco is over I'm planning on going back to regular Thursday updates. I really wish I could crank out two chapters in a week like I did last week, but realistically it's kind of hard to do. Especially when it involves so much dialogue from the show. Picture this: Panda sitting at her laptop, playing a five second clip from the show, switching tabs to write the audio into the story, then switching back to the show for another five second clip and more dialogue writing. It's fairly time consuming to get all the dialogue accurate but if I'm gonna do it I'm doing it right!

Side note – Game of Thrones is finally back! I just got done watching episode 2... AAAAAAH! And that is all I will say for those who have not seen it yet.

Special shout outs to **Drachegirl14** , **Wicken25** , and **Rosezelene Ersa** for reviewing. Reviews make me a happy Panda, so you guys rock!

 **Disclaimer: I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

* * *

Chapter 12

Once the sandstorm monster had disappeared, everyone still seemed a little cautious around me, like they were just waiting for me to snap. I suppose it should be expected; I'm normally the quiet one who doesn't attack in the open. But with my anger at the forefront of my emotions I was acting more ruthless and impatient then I ever had in front of Mai, Yugi, or Mokuba. Still, they chose not to comment on it more then necessary and I chose not to elaborate, an arrangement that seemed to work for everyone.

"Look, through the dust. Do you see what I see?" Mai asked, and we all looked in the distance as the storm finally died down and cleared away. I breathed a small sigh of relief at that fact, since the sand granules had stung where they'd hit my skin. Damn Seto and his need for realism, I'm a city girl not an adventurer. I felt like I would need to take three showers just to get all the sand off me... Oh right, virtual world.

"Some sort of ancient temple... That must be what we're looking for." Yugi said, nudging his chicken closer to the front. I eyed the structure, and even if I hadn't remembered this particular part I would have doubted that Seto was there; designed almost like a Greek temple with columns and no walls, it could easily be infiltrated. Taking a hostage to such a place was a stupid plan.

"Is that where they're keeping Kaiba?" Mai asked, Mokuba, who confirmed that the old woman had said that was where the man with the prisoner had been going to.

"I don't know Mokuba, it seems too easy. Not challenging at all, and your brother would have programmed something far more challenging than this." I said, and Mokuba scowled at me. "Look I know that the corporate officers have changed some of the programming, but this part..."

"Seto's gotta be there!" Mokuba said, and I decided not to push the subject any further. Urging the Niwatoris forward we made our way to the temple, which although small in appearance from a distance was actually large and very impressive. Something about the architecture was familiar, but I pushed it aside and focused instead on looking for clues, even as Mokuba jumped off the Niwatori and ran for the closest staircase. "Wait Mokuba! There could be traps!" I called, jumping off quickly. Mokuba either didn't hear me or was ignoring me because he didn't stop and I groaned in frustration.

"Come on guys, better not loose the other Kaiba brother." Mai said, hopping off her Niwatori as Yugi did the same. The four chicken taxis let out a chorus of squawks as they took off back into the desert, presumably heading back to the town. Shrugging and not really caring what happened to them the three of us made our way into the temple, where Mokuba had surprisingly waited just inside.

Deciding to save a lecture on running headfirst into unknown places for later, we walked down the only path available, steadily losing light the deeper in we went. Although we could see, I didn't like the damp coldness that seeped into my skin from the path. If I had to guess, we were going deep into the mountain that the temple was situated against. The others didn't complain, so I didn't either although a few comments about the temple seeing better days were thrown around.

When our path became blocked by a giant set of wooden doors, Yugi and I exchanged looks; and here was where Seto's desire for challenges came into play. The two of us opened the doors and stepped in, finding a giant stone maze just waiting to greet us.

"Oh goody, a labyrinth." I said, running a hand through my hair. "Remember me saying that it seemed too easy? I should have kept my mouth shut."

"If all four of us work together it shouldn't be too difficult." Yugi said as we stepped closer to the entrance of the labyrinth, only to have the doors behind us slam closed. Walking back to them I tried pulling and pushing, but the doors didn't budge. Looking at them over my shoulder, I sighed.

"Well, forward is the only option. The doors won't move." Crossing my arms, I studied the stones the labyrinth was made of and glanced at the fairy still riding on my shoulder, who looked up at me with a wide smile. "Any chance you can guide us through?" When she shook her head to signal no, I sighed. "Well that was too much to hope for I guess."

Mai shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Alright I'm totally freaked!"

Yugi smiled at her in a reassuring manner. "It's alright. Remember that this is all a game, and we'd never reach the end of this adventure by going backwards anyway. Like Reila said, forward is the only option." Turning to face the start of the maze, we heard a cry echo from inside and exchanged looks, some of confusion and others of worry. "Someone's in trouble!"

"That wasn't Seto's voice, so I'm going to go on a limb and say that it's a character in the game." I said, frowning as I stepped forward. "Probably a side quest is to rescue them, or it's possible that it's part of the main story."

"Wow Reila, you sure seem to know a lot about this place." Yugi said, and before I could respond a blue machine with a LOT of red drills crashed through the walls, coming up right behind us. Oh for crying out loud... Seriously, can't it just be a normal labyrinth? Aren't those challenging enough without a freaking tank chasing you?

"A labyrinth tank! Run!" Yugi shot off like a bullet, Mai half a step behind him.

I didn't need to be told twice – those drills looked seriously sharp and ready to do all sorts of damage. Grabbing Mokuba's hand I took off after Yugi and Mai, trusting their directional judgments. I have little to no sense of direction unless I have a map, and even then I'm spotty at times. Glancing over my shoulder, I almost screamed at how much closer the tank was. "Guys, I don't mean to sound negative but it's gaining on us!"

"Take a left!" Yugi cried as we sped around a corner, only to find another tank coming our way. Oh for the love of -

Backpedaling quickly, we tried to go the opposite way but there was another freaking tank ready to turn us into shish kabobs. "There's no way we can get past those things!" Mai said, reflexively reaching for her deck. The three tanks came to a stand still, boxing us in and rumbling menacingly, red lights growing brighter as they charged up their lasers. "And I don't have anything that can help us escape!"

"I'll use my Magical Hats!" Yugi said, drawing the card and activating it a split second before we were used as target practice. A hat came to rest around us and one second we were surrounded by tanks; the next we were out of danger and making our way slowly forward, trying not to step on anyone's feet as we crept forward. Once we reached the next fork in the maze the hat disappeared, and we were able to move around easier again.

"Quick thinking Yugi." I said, glancing around. "So where to next?"

"Uh, guys? Those tanks are coming after us!" Mai said, and I listened closely. She was right; it sounded like they were on the move again. Scowling I turned to start going right when a giggling chime caught everyone's attention. At first they glanced at me, but I shook my head; the fairy on my shoulder was still there and being surprisingly quiet considering our mad dash just moments ago.

"Look, another fairy!" Yugi said, pointing above us. The fairy smiled and giggled, circling down towards us before flying forward a little, looking back at us expectantly.

"I think she's trying to get us to follow her, just like this one did." I said, gesturing to my shoulder. "It worked last time, so let's get going. I don't feel like another game of Dash Away from the Tanks."

Mai laughed as we followed after the fairy. "What's the matter Reila, out of shape?"

I grinned at her in response. "Not at all. I just prefer my exercise to not involve giant drills or sharp objects." The fairy led us along for a few more turns, before taking off faster towards... Oh for crying out loud he'd actually done it. Seto had actually created a princess who freaking looks like Mokuba. I'd honestly been hoping that particular part of the canon story had been changed but nope, there stood... Crap I'd forgotten her name. "Mokuba, looks like we found your long lost twin." I said, glancing down at him.

Mokuba took one look at the princess and just blinked in response. Although the princess did have much more feminine features than Mokuba does, there was no denying that Seto had modeled her off of Mokuba's face and given her the same hair and eye color as Mokuba. It was really disconcerting, and I kept glancing between the two of them, barely stifling a groan of frustration; Seto, you're making it way too easy for Mokuba to switch places with her later!

"We heard someone scream... Are you alright?" Mokuba asked, stepping closer to the girl. She seemed just as shocked to see us as we were to find her, but she still smiled gently and I couldn't help the thought that Mokuba would make a very pretty girl. You know, if he'd been born a girl and all that.

"I lost Earu, my guide." She said, gesturing to the fairy. The one riding my shoulder chimed as if to say hello, and the princess turned her attention my way. Her eyes widened before she smiled happily, running to me and hugging me tightly, just like Mokuba always does. "Oh Sabine, you've come back!"

Everyone looked at me, but I held up my hands quickly to signal I had no idea what she was talking about. "Uh, I'm sorry but I think you have me confused with someone else..." A small gasp escaped her lips as she pulled back, studying me more closely. "I've never heard of anyone named Sabine."

"Sabine is my closest friend and adviser... When I saw the fairy on you shoulder and your hair I assumed... I'm so sorry, do forgive me." The girl spoke quickly, genuinely distraught that she'd made the mistake. I waved it off and smiled to let her know it was alright.

"I'm Mokuba, and this is Mai, Yugi, and Reila." Mokuba said, stepping closer to me. "What's your name?"

"I'm Adena, and this is Earu." She said, gesturing to the fairy floating beside her.

"Adena, do you know the way out of here?" Yugi asked, and she shook her head and told us she was lost too. Before our groans died out, she said cheerfully that Earu could lead us, and our group of five followed the fairy closely, with me lagging behind a little to make sure Adena and Mokuba weren't in any danger.

"Look, the end of the maze!" Yugi called, but we didn't even get a chance to breath a sigh of relief; a giant monster was blocking our path. "Reila, I'm going to need your help." Stepping forward, I got the card out as Yugi explained. "During the Duelist Kingdom tournament Joey and I faced this creature in a teams battle. By combining the Red Eyes with my Summoned Skull, we defeated it – and that's what we'll do this time."

Nodding my head, I activated the Red Eyes as Yugi activated Summoned Skull and Polymerization. The combo brought forth the Black Skull Dragon, but seeing the attack points I scowled. "Yugi, Black Skull Dragon only has 3400 attack points, while that Gigaguardian or whatever has 3750!"

"Check Joey's deck, he should have a spell card called Dragon Nails; find it and activate it, that will raise Black Skull Dragon's attack power by 700. That's more than enough to take down this creature." Nodding I did as he said, and only once the creature was defeated did I breath a sigh of relief.

"That's amazing! You're all so brave... So much like the heroes of legend." Adena said, smiling widely. Hearing voices and seeing lights in the distance, Mai, Yugi and I moved without speaking to form a barrier between the voices and the two youngest in our party. But when Adena called out "Grandma!" We stepped aside, assuming that it was safe enough... For now. This game had a nasty habit of throwing last minute monsters into the mix and I didn't want to be caught off guard. I'd managed to avoid losing any life points so far, unlike Joey had in the canon story but still... The thought that I might lost all my life points because I'd taken Joey's place in this little adventure was always at the back of my mind.

"They saved me! They're the bravest warriors I've ever seen." Adena's words brought me back to the present and out of my thoughts, where Adena's... Nanny? Whoever, and the guards accompanying her all looked to us with wide eyes.

"Is that-!" Adena shook her head to cut off one guard's question, and I assumed that they all thought I was this Sabine person again. Which made me wonder, who exactly was this Sabine character, besides being close to Adena? I don't remember anything about that character being mentioned before. Could Seto have added another character in this version of the story line, one that apparently looked like me? It was... Oddly flattering truth be told.

"Seems like Kaiba might have created a character that looks like you." Mai said quietly as Adena invited us to the palace and began leading the way out of the cavern we were in. "Now I wonder why he'd take the time and effort to include a character that looks like you."

I glanced sideways at Mai and barely kept a sigh held in; she wouldn't be the first to speculate that there was something more between Seto and I. Already a few tabloid magazines had commented on our friendship, but to hear it from a person's mouth instead of a trashy magazine made it so much worse. "I don't know why he would have done something like that. I definitely didn't ask him to, nor give him permission to base a character off of me." Glancing at Adena and Mokuba walking ahead of me, I tilted my head to the side. "I think it's possible that this Sabine character is a protector of sorts for Adena, much like I watch after and protect Mokuba. Instead of basing a character off of himself, which would only prove to everyone else that his ego is out of control, he chose me as a basis for the character. Which makes sense, given that the first time I ever spoke to them was after standing up to a bully to help Mokuba."

Mai turned to me quickly, looking shocked. "Standing up to a bully? I highly doubt that anyone would ever bully a Kaiba."

"They weren't always Kaibas." I said, deciding that it was alright to elaborate a little. It was public knowledge that Seto and Mokuba had been adopted, so it wasn't exactly a secret. "Mokuba, Seto and I all spent time at the same orphanage together. That's where we met, before they became Kaibas and before I got adopted back into the Sarota family."

"Wait, you weren't born into the family?" Mai asked, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable. I don't talk about my past much, and especially not of my grandfather's attitude towards my mother and me. But Mai was a good person; she was strong, independent, and much like myself in that she doesn't show her emotions as strongly as other people do. Much like I wear a mask in public, she also wears one to hide her insecurities and doubts. Trusting her with this, showing faith in her... It might help keep her from Dartz's clutches later on.

"My mother was disowned from the family for marrying my father instead of going forward with the arranged marriage my grandfather had planned for her. Even after my father passed away, he still refused to see me or my mother, and instead left us to fend for ourselves. Mother did the best she could, and we were alright until she got sick. She sent a letter to my grandfather, begging him to take me in should she pass on but he refused." Swallowing thickly, I realized that Yugi was listening too, but decided to continue on anyway; Yugi I could trust to not say anything. "After my mother died I went to the orphanage where I met Seto and Mokuba. My grandfather knew where I was, but he kept the knowledge to himself, just like he kept the knowledge of my mother's passing to himself. It wasn't until my grandfather died that my Uncle Sota discovered everything and came to get me, taking me in and raising me."

"That's... That's a lot for a kid to go through." Mai said, refusing to look at me. "And did you know about your mom being disowned before or...?"

"My mother never told me anything about her family until a few weeks before she died." I said bluntly, feeling myself slipping into my public persona. Anytime I feel uncomfortable or emotional, the mask of the 'Sarota Princess' slipped on without me even realizing it. It had become second nature, an involuntary reflex to step back and hide my emotions. "After I'd been officially adopted back into the Sarota family, my uncle told me the truth of my grandfather's actions. But by then it wasn't important; what was important was the fact that I was being raised to help my family and our company grow."

"So you really didn't have a normal childhood either, did you?" Mai asked, stepping over a large rock in the path. I shrugged in response, remaining silent. In truth it wasn't a normal childhood, but it was still a cakewalk compared to what Seto and Mokuba had gone through. Mai pulled me to a stop, letting the others trail ahead a little. "I didn't mean to pry. I was just curious, that's all."

I smiled, but even I could tell it wasn't a real smile; it was the pleasant, placating one I often wore in public. "It's alright Mai, it doesn't bother me. I've made peace with my past and moved on; the future is what's important." Mai seemed ready to say something, but decided against it and nodded instead. The two of us caught up to the rest quickly enough, and by then we were out in the sunshine again. The guards had sent ahead for two carriages, pulled along by... Some sort of feathered dinosaur from the looks of them. Deciding I didn't really care what they were called I climbed up into the carriage, situating myself into a seat. Yugi and Mai sat across from me, and Mokuba sat next to me, scooting closer and looking at me with a worried expression.

I didn't ask what was wrong, because I knew what he saw; he saw me acting like a Sarota, not Reila. It wasn't often that I placed my mask on around Mokuba, but I was trying to get a hold on my anger and the fresh grief talking about my parents had brought up. The urge to just blast through this game and get to the final confrontation was getting stronger, but I squashed it down as best I could. Knowing how things are supposed to play out makes it really difficult to be patient, especially when I'm actually participating in the adventure like I am this time around. My 'Princess' mask makes it easier to hide the turmoil that my emotions were going through, but apparently I didn't have anyone fooled. I could see it in their eyes that they were worried about me, but I brushed off their concern. I just needed to make sure Seto got back safely, kick him where it hurts, then go home. I'd be fine after that.

As the castle came into view, I stayed in the carriage instead of gawking out the windows like the others were doing. Something was bothering me; if Seto had truly based a character of the game on me, that was different from the canon story. There had already been multiple differences; the fairy staying with me, that old man calling me a sorceress, Adena's reaction to me and saying Sabine was an adviser... None of that had happened in the story I remembered. And if these differences continued then I wasn't sure that I could make this smooth and quick. For all I know, those five creeps that had started this whole mess could have a special trap laid out that I had no knowledge of. I'd have to rely heavily on Yugi and Mai, since their knowledge of Duel Monsters was far greater than mine, but when it came to plotting I was the best of our group. But first I needed information.

* * *

Yugi watched Reila closely, looking for some sign that she was alright. Earlier, she'd been snarky, poking fun at others and lashing out aggressively. It had actually been kind of nice to see that she had regular emotions just like anyone else; at times it was like she had one emotional setting and one only. But now she'd withdrawn back into herself, a serious look on her face as she appeared lost in her own thoughts. Glancing at Mokuba, the young boy shook his head slowly, signaling that he had no idea. Yugi had picked up on the same thing everyone else had; she was mad at Kaiba. And not just mad, but fully pissed off at him. Yugi was actually a little afraid of what she would do once they found him.

As the carriages came to a stop and they followed Adena into the castle, the fairy Earu flew over to Reila, perching on her free shoulder just as the other fairy was. Reila glanced down at Earu and raised an eyebrow, but gave a shallow shrug and didn't comment.

"Looks like you've got yourself another friend." Mai said, leaning closer to study the fairies. "Only problem is they don't seem to do much but giggle and chime, do they?"

"Oh they do many other things, but only when they choose to." Adena said, coming to a stop right outside the doors. "Please, do come inside."

"Is this _your_ palace?" Yugi asked, taking his gaze away from Reila. Adena nodded, explaining that she was the princess of this land, Sin Lau. Although now that he studied her outfit, he should have guessed that one. Walking inside, they were greeted with a large portrait of Adena seated on a throne, with a woman who looked exactly like Reila standing beside her.

"Reila, look! That must be Sabine, and no wonder people have mistaken you. She's looks just like you!" Reila walked over, eyeing the painting and her eyes flashing with irritation. Yugi studied the painting more, trying to figure out what could have caused it but he didn't see anything right away. The woman in the painting was dressed in flowing robes, gold layered with rose colored fabric and held a large, ornate staff with a blue stone the size of her fist embedded in the top. She looked powerful and mysterious, but what was irritating Reila wasn't something he could see right off hand.

"Yes, that is Sabine. As I told you, she is a powerful sorceress who has been my friend, protector, and adviser since I was very young." Adena looked at the painting, smiling fondly before sighing. "However she had to leave on a personal mission, and I miss her terribly. She's the one who left Earu here to watch after me, for all fairies listen to and follow the commands of a sorceress. That is probably why those two have become attached to you Reila; you and Sabine favor each other enough that they probably assume you are her."

Reila only nodded, still studying the painting with her arms crossed, her shoulders rigid and tense. Yugi wanted to ask, but Mokuba stepped closer to Reila and placed his arms around her waist, hugging her. She glanced at him once, but didn't say anything before returning her gaze to the portrait, glaring at it as though her gaze could set it on fire. To be honest, with the amount of anger that he could see in her eyes he was surprised that the painting hadn't spontaneously combusted.

"Reila, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it..." Mokuba said, but Reila shook her head sharply once and Mokuba didn't say anymore. Looking again at the painting, then back to Reila, it finally clicked in Yugi's head why she was so upset.

Kaiba had changed the color of 'her' eyes in the game. Sabine's eyes were gold, not black like Reila's were. And it was the eyes of the painting that Reila was staring at so intently at.

* * *

Dinner was a quiet affair, at least on my part. While Mokuba, Yugi, and Mai spoke with Adena and got the basics of what we needed to do, I sat silently, struggling to keep from flying off the handle. I mean really, it's just a simple color change. I shouldn't logically be upset by something so small, but it hurt that someone I considered a friend, someone who I trusted and had known for so long would change my eye color the first chance they got.

It was a secret I kept hidden from everyone and had buried deep within me; people being so uncomfortable about my eyes or mocking them did actually hurt a lot. I had spent years getting over the fact that my eyes made people uncomfortable or afraid. I'd even learned to use that to my advantage, purposely using my eyes to make people squirm. My eyes also came in handy for being in certain music videos, particularly those for the rock groups that were signed under Sarota Entertainment. When the director wanted an otherworldly looking girl, I took the role since I was capable of pulling off the look with the right makeup and clothing instead of needing contacts. But Mokuba and Seto were the first two outside my family to accept me and not think my eyes were creepy or scary. Their acceptance and my family's acceptance had been the foundation that I had built my confidence on, and now one of those stones had been ripped away.

Rubbing my forehead, I sighed and tried to push the hurt aside. Hearing a quiet chime, I looked to the fairies still perched on my shoulders. They scooted closer, each placing a small hand on my neck and leaning against me in a sort of fairy hug. Glancing to Mokuba, who was studying me with a worried expression I finally shoved the hurt aside to be tackled later; right now I needed to be focused and strong to help Mokuba and rescue Seto. "I'm fine Mokuba. Or at least I will be."

Mokuba nodded once, smiling at me before turning his attention back to Adena.

"You think... _We're_ the epic heroes from the prophecy?" Mai asked, looking to me with a raised eyebrow. I shrugged in response; it was all part of the game after all. It was probably a generic response to any party or person that got this far. There was probably a separate dialogue sequence for an individual versus a party, a duo, a party of only three, etc. It was actually impressive that Seto had managed to do all the programming himself, and that he'd taken so many variables into account. Then again, he is a certifiable genius, which is why I was so mad at him for not seeing that this had been a trap.

"Yes. On your shoulders rest the fate of our kingdom." Adena said, smiling brightly. "Just like the prophecy foretold, you will be able to find the flying machine, break the barrier around the castle, and put an end to this darkness that hangs over us!" The four in our party exchanged looks and nodded our consent; we needed to defeat the mythic dragon to get to Seto anyway, so playing out this part of the game would have to be done. "To properly prepare you, we will adorn you in the manner of our greatest heroes." Adena said, standing and leading us upstairs. There she ushered Mai and I into one room, while Yugi and Mokuba went into another.

Finding the chests inside, Mai pulled out the same outfit that she had worn in the canon story, her eyes sparkling with interest. "A girl like me could get used to this." She said, looking around for somewhere to change. The fairies left my shoulders and perched on the windowsill while I pulled out my outfit, blinking in surprise – this was not at all what Joey had worn. It looked more like the Savior's Hide armor from the Elder Scrolls series that I had played in my first life, but with black fur instead of brown. Frowning as I held it up, I noticed that it didn't have the parts that hung down and would stop at my waist. Digging around some more I found a pair of black leather pants and boots, along with leather and fur gauntlets. After looking around and seeing only Mai in the room, I took off my shirt and started changing, not caring that Mai was here.

"Wait Reila, there's a changing area over here!" Mai said, looking away quickly. I didn't understand the need; we were both females, so it wasn't that big of a deal.

"Mai, I'm so used to having to change costumes in front of people during a video shoot that practically all modesty has been drained out of me. You're a woman, I'm a woman. If it makes you more comfortable I won't turn around until you've changed, or you can head into the changing room." I said, pulling the pants on. They fit perfectly, like a second skin and I wondered if the programming was designed to give everyone armor in their exact sizes.

I heard Mai begin changing and kept my word, not looking as I tugged the armor over my head and fastened on the gauntlets. Bending down to pull on the boots, I then began digging into the chest for the weapon meant to go with the costume. I found a small dagger, which I tucked into the belt, and a wicked looking mace which I hefted onto my shoulder. Spotting a leather strip, I set the mace down long enough to snatch it up and use it to tie my hair up in a ponytail and out of my face. "All set Mai?" At her reply that she was, I turned and grinned at her. "Well that armor looks great on you."

She struck a pose and laughed. "I think I can rock this medieval chick look." She looked me over, nodding in approval. "Normally I'd say that black is too dark for someone with your skin tone, but with your hair and eyes you make it work. You look like a barbarian cheiftess in that outfit."

"Yeah, I feel ready for a battle in this." I said, picking up the mace and slinging it onto my shoulder. Although it was large, it didn't feel heavy; again the programming must kick in and adjust the weight for each individual. We made our way into the hallway, where Adena, Yugi, and Mokuba were waiting... Or at least, who we thought was Mokuba. Yugi and Mai might be fooled, but I knew that Mokuba had convinced Adena to trade places with him; and as much as I wanted to keep him safely here with me, I couldn't risk it. Mokuba needed to get to Seto so that he could give Seto's deck to him. If Adena was truly the one captured, then the sacrifice would most likely go forward without us being able to stop it in time. Yugi pulled Mai aside to ask if she was sure she was willing to head into danger, and I stepped closer to Mokuba and Adena.

"Mokuba, nice try but I know that you switched with Adena." I said, eyeing him. He flinched in response and looked away quickly. "I get it, you want to make sure you get to Seto; I'm fine with that, but don't try to trick me and don't think you can leave me in the dark like that."

"I... I was worried you'd try and stop me." He said, glancing worriedly at Yugi and Mai. "Adena said that the sacrifice will be collected soon, and since she volunteered to be the sacrifice for her kingdom, they'll take me instead if I'm dressed like her. This way, I'll be able to be taken right to where Seto is."

"I won't say anything, and I won't try and stop you. You're smart enough to know the risks and to be careful. You just make sure Seto gets his deck so he can blast his way out of that castle. We'll find the flying machine and come pick you guys up." I said, keeping my voice low. Yugi and Mai were still talking, and not paying attention to us. Mokuba smiled, looking relieved for the first time since this had all started. "Your brother's going to be furious that I'm letting you take this risk, you do know that right?"

"I'll tell Seto it was all my idea, since it was anyway." Mokuba said, his face set in a determined look. "I won't let him get angry at you."

Smiling I ruffled his hair, then straightened the tiara and smoothed his hair down. "Mokuba, I'm afraid that this time you won't be able to stop us from getting mad at each other; but I promise not to fight with your brother until he's safely out of danger." Mokuba looked confused and started to ask what I meant, but a crash of thunder and flash of lightning drew us all outside.

"I've got a bad feeling about this guys." Yugi said, eyeing the dark clouds worriedly. "This storm came out of nowhere."

"Something tells me it's not a regular storm." I said, my grip on the mace tightening. Looking up as another streak of lightning flashed, I huffed out a breath – there was the Castle of Dark Illusions, floating in the storm clouds. Thousands of Duel Monsters descended, and the next few minutes were all a blur. Mai tried attacking with her Dark Witch, but her monster was so outnumbered that she called it back. Yugi tried to use his Dark Hole magic card, but the Armed Ninja destroyed it, snatching Mokuba in a net and hauling him out of reach. Yugi called for me to use the Axe Raider and Kunai With Chain, which I did and it worked just like it had in the original story, but then another monster swooped in and nabbed him.

"Damn..." I said, watching him fly away. Not thinking, I called back the Kunai With Chain first, but ultimately that was a mistake; Yugi called out a warning just as the Gemini Elf attacked, taking Axe Raider out with one blow. As the proverbial dust settled and my monster disintegrated, the Gemini Elf joined the other monsters in returning to the castle. The hit my monster had taken physically affected me as well, driving me to my knees as I fought to breath. Did Seto really have to include this part in the programming? Physical discomfort and pain when a monster you control is destroyed?

Yugi ran over to me, looking around to see if anymore monsters were lurking about. "Reila are you alright?" He looked genuinely concerned, and I mentally berated myself for making such a rookie mistake. You don't downsize your monster's power before calling it back. Standing, I shook off the shock of the physical reaction and glanced at my life point counter; 1800 left. That was even less than Joey had at this point in the canon story.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Down 200 life points, but it's my own fault. I should have called both the magic card and monster back at the same time." I said, walking over to Adena, who was staring after Mokuba with a sorrowful expression. "Don't worry Adena, Mokuba is a tough kid; he'll be fine."

"Wait, you knew that Mokuba and Adena switched places?" Mai asked, staring at me in disbelief. "You've got to be kidding! How could you let a child go on his own like that?"

"Because although he's young Mokuba is smart and resourceful." I said, frowning at Mai. "I don't like letting him go off on his own but it's the best option; this way he can take Seto his deck, and with the monsters that he has in that thing he can blast that castle to smithereens on his way out. All we have to do is drive the getaway car. Well, flying machine in this case." I said, looking up to the floating castle. "Mokuba will be fine, and he's capable of taking care of himself."

Mai looked unconvinced, but dropped the subject. Yugi watched me silently, and the look in his eyes was beginning to make me uncomfortable. It was almost like he was seeing through me, seeing beneath the mask I held in place and seeing the emotional turmoil underneath. For all the hype about Yugi being a good guy and somewhat naive, I was beginning to see that he was more observant than most gave him credit for. I'd have to watch myself in the future so that he'd quit studying me so closely. As he called our attention to where he stood, I glanced once more after Mokuba, hoping that I was right and he would be safe.

* * *

"I'm never touching another freaking video game as long as I live!" I said, stomping out a flame close to my foot. "I mean seriously who finds this kind of stuff enjoyable? Running for your life, the constant battles, burning and entire forest to take down Mothra's kids... Gamers are demented I swear it!"

Okay, so quick recap; we found the flying machine, used the Time Wizard to bring it back to it's original glory, flew to the Castle of Dark Illusions, Yugi had swapped places with the spirit of the pharaoh, and said pharaoh had just set an entire forest on fire by flinging a barrage of Kuriboh at some giant moths. Seriously, I've had it with this game and everything involved in it. Add onto all that the fact that both little fairies had sacrificed themselves to get us here... Dammit I'd gotten attached to them and now they were gone.

My overreaction seemed to amuse Mai. "No please Reila, tell us how you really feel." I glowered at her as we followed the pharaoh down the path and towards an ominous looking cavern. "Honestly Reila you act like you've never played a video game before. You... Have played a video game before, haven't you?"

"I was a little busy studying for school and learning how my family's company works, then training to someday take my place in the company. So no, I haven't had time for video games. The only games I play are chess, solitaire, and the occasional round of poker." I said, crossing my arms over my chest. I'd lost the mace when the flying machine had collapsed and we'd escaped on the back of Winged Guardian of the Fortress. Thank the gods for Yugi's quick thinking at that particular moment.

"So you're friends with the CEO of the biggest gaming company in the world, and you don't play games." Mai said, laughing. "Oh this is too funny! I mean I would have expected Kaiba to only interact with people who play Duel Monsters or some form of games."

"You would think." I said as we stepped inside the cavern, the pharaoh leading us silently as he listened to our conversation. "But then again I've never been big on games, and Seto knows it. When we were children I was always the one studying, reading, or playing music. He knows enough about music to be able to talk to me about it, and I know enough about the concept of games to be able to talk to him about it. The fact that we have such separate interests actually works in our favor I think. It keeps us from competing against one another in anything but chess."

"Wait, listen." The pharaoh said, stopping and tilting his head to try and hear better. The sound grew louder, and it sounded like it was coming from above us. "Something's up there; be ready to fight." Nodding in understanding, Mai and I both raised our left arms, so that our decks were close at hand. Looking up at the swirling part of the ceiling, the same sound grew even louder, something about it sounding familiar. The three of us cried out in shock as a beam of bright light came form the center of the swirl, effectively blasting a hole in the ceiling.

Once the light died down, we looked up again, seeing the head of a Blue Eyes White Dragon sticking out, looking right at us.

"A Blue Eyes!" Yugi said, reaching for his cards. I jumped forward, grabbing his wrist to stop him before he attacked.

"Wait Yugi, there's only one person who would have control of that particular monster." I said, releasing his wrist and turning just as Seto and Mokuba jumped down from the hole that had been made. "I thought that sound was familiar, I should have recognized it sooner." I said, stepping forward as Seto called back his dragon. Mokuba ran to greet me, hugging me tightly.

"See, I told you it would work Reila! The Armed Ninja took me right to Seto and once I gave him his deck he blasted his way out!"

Smiling I ruffled Mokuba's hair. "You were very brave Mokuba, and you were right. Now that only problem is getting out of here; the flying machine is sort of completely destroyed." I said, ignoring Seto as he came closer. I was still pissed at him, but now was not the time to get into an argument with him. Instead, I waited for him to come to me and for him to speak first – it would give me more time to block out my anger.

* * *

The only thing that could have made this entire ordeal any more unbearable to Seto was if Joey had been part of the 'rescue' team. Mai he could easily ignore, Yugi he could respect to a certain degree, but Reila being here... That was something he wouldn't have guessed in a million years. When Mokuba had told him that Reila was here helping to rescue him – not that he'd really needed rescuing of course – he'd almost tripped over a rock in disbelief. Reila had never even shown an interest in video games before, and yet here she was plugged into a prototype virtual reality game. It made absolutely no sense.

Stepping closer to Reila and Mokuba, he looked down at her. At least he knew that the software had indeed transferred none of her previous injuries, as she was moving around without a medical boot on her left ankle. He glanced over the particular outfit that the game had given her; it was one of the more elaborate pieces, but the look suited her in a way. It was unusual to see her hair up, but it brought out her cheeks bones and gave her a sharper, more striking profile. Seto frowned as Reila continued to not look at him, not even to ask if he was alright; if she was really part of a rescue mission shouldn't she be more concerned about his well being?

Glancing at Yugi and Mai, he saw the awkward looks on their faces; the tension in the air was so thick it could probably be cut by a knife. Even Mokuba seemed uneasy, giving Reila a cautious look. "Reila, what are you doing here?" Seto asked finally, wanting to get to the bottom of this and get out of this game.

She finally turned, facing him with a strained smile on her lips. "Why I'm here to help Mokuba get you out of this game. I couldn't very well let Mokuba risk so much on his own, could I?" Her words were falsely cheerful, her smile fake and her entire body was tense. Frowning he opened his mouth to get to the bottom of her behavior when the fake smile dropped and her eyes narrowed, a fierce glower on her face that made the words die out in his throat. He'd only seen her this angry once, and that was years ago when someone at the orphanage had ruined the music sheets she had been working on. "Seto, this is not a conversation to have right now. Let's get out of here, back in our bodies, and _then_ we'll have this conversation... In private." She said, turning her attention back to Mokuba.

Seto was taken aback by her behavior; why should she be angry at him? Scowling at how easily she dismissed him, he would have pushed the subject if it hadn't been for his corporate officers making their presence known. Well, soon-to-be-former executive officers.

"Congratulations gamers, you've made it to the final level."

Seto scoffed in response. "Correction you slime ball, we've beaten the game." Now that the ritual hadn't taken place, an exit portal should appear at any moment.

"Oh, is that what you think, Seto Kaiba?" A second voice taunted, and Seto rolled his eyes.

"That's right. I escaped the lava pool, therefore the mythic dragon wasn't summoned." Seto said, his hand tightening into a fist. "That means this game is over." From the corner of his eye, he saw Reila smack a hand to her forehead in frustration and turned to her, scowling. He raised an eyebrow to question what her problem was, and in response she threw her hands up in frustration, looking at him like he was as a child throwing a tantrum.

"It will be game over alright but for you, not for us." The third voice rang out, and the scenery began to disappear, leaving all of them standing on what looked like computer circuits. More circuits ran above them, forming a ceiling and both it and the floor seemed to stretch on infinitely. "No way.." Seto said, looking around.

"What is this?" Yugi asked, eyes darting around. Seto took a step back as blue flames rushed towards them, stopping a few yards away.

"They've rewritten the program. They're summoning the mythic dragon themselves!" Mokuba moved closer to Seto as the flames split into five dragon heads, each one connected to the same body. The mythic dragon had been designed to be practically unbeatable, with 5000 attack points and 4000 defense points, it would take someone of immense skill to take the beast down. Glancing at Reila again, he noticed the deck holder on her wrist – since when did Reila have a deck? Frowning, he caught her attention and motioned to it, causing her to roll her eyes.

"For crying out loud, did you honestly think I'd come in here unarmed? And how did none of you see this coming?" She asked, turning to each of their group in turn. "They've rewritten so much of the programming, is it really that big of surprise that they rewrote this particular part too?"

Returning his attention to the problem before him, he glanced at Yugi and Mai. "There's only one way we can get out of this game." As he spoke, Reila, Mai, and Yugi stepped forward, spacing themselves out and forming a line. Reila caught Mokuba's attention and jerked her head back, wordlessly telling him to get behind them; without a deck Mokuba was the most vulnerable of the group.

"I agree. We have to take this dragon down." Yugi said. All four of them nodded, and Mai took the first attack, summoning her Harpie Ladies. But when they were rendered useless by the Dragon's Seal the five executives had programmed into the place, Seto had to laugh.

"You dare challenge me to a battle of dragons? You five should all know better than that. I call the Blue Eyes White Dragon!" Seto summoned forth his monster, feeling confidence rush through him as the familiar roar of his favored monster sounded loudly. If those five snakes thought they could take him down by limiting him to dragon class monsters only, they were even more foolish then he had originally thought them to be. As the others summoned forth their dragon creatures, he scowled at Reila's monster. "Reila, tell me you're not using Wheeler's deck." He said, looking pointedly at the Red Eyes Black Dragon.

"It was the only one available, other than using yours." She said, scowling at him. "And it's been rather helpful so far, so shut up!" Seto turned to her with an incredulous look; she was defending Wheeler? What on earth was going on with her? She'd never acted so hostile towards him, and it was irritating him that she wasn't herself. Pushing aside those thoughts he looked at the arsenal of dragon type creatures they'd summoned; the total attack points of all their monsters was 9400, more than enough to take down the mythic dragon.

"Your mythic dragon will not stand against all we have set against it!" Yugi called, and for once Seto had to agree. The numbers didn't lie, there was no way that those five could hope to defeat them with so many attack points aimed their way. As the four of them called for their dragons to attack, four of the five heads of the mythic dragon returned fire, canceling out the attacks. Seto ground his teeth in frustration as Yugi commented aloud on what he already knew.

"But one of your team has dragon with which to attack or defend." As the taunting voice rang out, the remaining dragon head leaned forward, aiming above their heads... And straight at Mokuba. "Isn't that right, Mokuba?"

"Wait. No, you wouldn't!" Seto said, frozen in shock. He wanted to move, to defend his brother but it felt like his limbs were weighed down with lead. He watched as the blast left the dragon's mouth, moving too fast for him to react to at all. His eyes wide, he watched as Mokuba raised his own head, locking gazes and waiting for the inevitable.

"Red Eyes, DEFEND HIM!" Reila screamed out, turning and watching as she used Wheeler's dragon to block the blast, protecting Mokuba. The weight left Seto's body as his shoulders sagged in relief; Reila's quick thinking had saved Mokuba. As the dragon faded from view, Reila fell heavily to her knees, panting and gasping for air.

"Reila!" Mai and Yugi ran to her, and the realization hit Seto like a freight train; Reila had just taken 2600 points worth of damage. She'd lost all her life points protecting Mokuba. Looking to his little brother, Mokuba looked just as shocked as he felt. Of course Reila had always jumped to Mokuba's defense without thinking, but if the game had been reprogrammed this much... Unless she was returned to her body, there would be little to no chance of getting her back.

Standing shakily, Reila turned her fierce gaze to Yugi and Mai. "I'm... Counting on you two. Get my friends out of here safely." As her virtual body began disappearing, her gaze softened as it turned to him and Mokuba. "Mokuba, take care of your brother for me. And Seto..." She shook her head, a sad look on her face. "Just make sure you win this thing, alright?"

"Reila, no!" Mokuba cried, running to her. She smiled, the first real smile Seto had seen from her this entire time and she reached out a hand, ruffling Mokuba's hair before finally fading in a shower of golden sparks. Tears streamed down Mokuba's face as he stared blankly ahead at the spot where she'd just been; Mai choked on a sob as Yugi placed his hand on her shoulder, his own face showing grief. Seto's hands clenched into fists, the haunting reality crashing down on him.

Reila was gone.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N** : **I LIVE**. For those who are interested an explanation for the unplanned hiatus will be in a secondary note at the end of the chapter. For those who aren't, don't worry you can skip it. It is kind of dry reading.

Someone did mention that the last chapter skipped around a bit... I did that for two reasons. One, I don't want to do exact play by plays of the action from the show. It would take way too long and then we'd be looking at multiple chapters per episode. Last time I counted the actual show ran for over 100 episodes (I might be wrong) and as much as I love this story, 100+ chapters isn't something I think I could tackle. Reason number two, Reila might be involved more directly in this mini-arc, but I'm trying to keep her as far out of the spotlight as I can while still having her present for the action. It's not that I don't want her to be involved more directly in the canon plot, it's that her personality doesn't like being the center of attention. Does that make sense?

And yes, I did skip the rest of the Big 5 vs. Seto/Yugi duel. I really tried to make it work from Seto's POV, but I just... couldn't. A certain brown haired blue eyed canon story character was not cooperating.

Big shout outs to **Drachegirl14** , **animagirl** , and **Rosezelene Ersa** , **Cereza101** , and **time-twilight** for reviewing. Thanks guys, you rock!

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I own only my own Ocs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

Chapter 13

"Huh? What's this?" Seto ignored Yugi's question as he slowly sat up, shaking off the fogginess of his mind. The last thing he remembered was being dropped down a hole after defeating the Mythic Dragon, effectively wiping the five slime balls out of existence... Something that Seto would make doubly sure happened when he was back in the real world. The reprogramming those five had done had cost him his little brother and closest friend. Glaring venomously at the crowd as he stood, he cursed the cheerful, thankful crowd he'd programmed for the triumphant return of the conquering heroes.

"Our heroes! What you've done will keep my people and our land safe forever more!" Seto turned with Yugi to face the princess Adena, the one who had originally been slotted to be kidnapped and brought as the second sacrifice in the lava pit. Looking at her now, Seto seriously regretted using Mokuba as a model to base her features on. Looking at her was painful, the familiar eye and hair colors bringing home that his little brother's mind was drifting somewhere in the programming around them. But Seto hadn't had many options when it came to finding a model. A genius he may be, but Seto was no artist, and had to use the two people closest to him as references for the beta phase of the game.

"We're not the ones that you should be cheering." Yugi said, his eyes downcast and his voice thick with emotion. Seto had to stop himself from punching the back of Yugi's head; how dare he act like that? How dare he act like he'd lost as much as Seto had? He'd lost one friend; Seto had lost the only two people that he cared for at all. Mokuba was everything to him, and Reila was the only person he could trust at his back. And now both of them were gone.

"There shouldn't even be any cheering." Seto said, clenching his eyes tight as his emotions rolled through him like a tidal wave. He could feel anger burning hot inside him, taste the bitterness of despair on his tongue, feel misery pressing heavily on his shoulders, and hear helplessness closing in around him. Without Mokuba here, without his precious little brother... Without Reila, the only person who had ever earned his trust... "I lost my brother and best friend in there." Seto said, fixing a harsh glare on the virtual princess. Her eyes widened in response, and she took an involuntary step back at seeing the wrath in his eyes.

"You speak as though there is no way to bring them back." A voice rang out from the back of the crowd, where people were beginning to murmur and bow. Yugi turned to him with a questioning look, but Seto couldn't even respond for fear that he would lose it and show Yugi just how dangerous a man like Seto Kaiba could be. Turning his gaze away from the princess and Yugi, he searched the crowd but couldn't see who everyone was bowing to. Finally a figure emerged, clothed on flowing robes of cream and rose with a royal blue cloak covering their face. Mounting the steps leading up to the platform where they all stood pale, feminine hands lifted up as the virtual person lifted the cowl of her cloak off and revealed long curling red locks and a familiar smile. "Oh ye of little faith."

"Sabine!" The princess ran to the woman, who greeted her with open arms. The action caused a painful lump to form in Seto's throat; it was like watching Reila and Mokuba's ghosts, because he'd based those actions off what he'd always seen between the two. Seto had carefully written her programming to reflect the real Reila, deciding that if he was going to include her he'd do it properly. Sabine was powerful, but appeared harmless and unassuming. But her appearance here puzzled him, as she had no direct involvement in this part of the game. She only appeared in later levels as someone who handed out quests, never involved too directly or interacting too much with a player.

"So you're Sabine, the sorceress who guards Adena." Yugi said, stepping forward. Seto could see on his face that speaking with someone who looked so much like Reila was unnerving him, and Seto had to admit that he'd done amazingly well with the creation of Sabine; she was an almost identical copy of Reila in appearance, with only minor changes to 'her' personality to suit the game's theme. The only thing he'd been forced to change was the color of her eyes, and that was only a temporary flaw. He'd had difficulty making black pupils look anything but lifeless, and he wouldn't put forth an inferior product. So she'd been given golden eyes, until a digital artist could get the shading for Reila's striking eyes just right and the coding could be properly input.

"Yes, I am Sabine; and you are one of the four heroes who set out from the castle, while you are the one who was offered as a sacrifice to the beast." She said, gesturing to Yugi and Seto in turn as she spoke. "My fairies kept me informed."

Her words caused Yugi's shoulders to droop. "Earu... Earu is-"

"Earu is just fine, as are your friends." Sabine said, stepping forward and waving a hand to the crowd. Time seemed to stop as Sabine stepped closer. "There, now we can speak privately. There is much I must say and I have no wish for Adena nor the villagers to hear."

Seto scowled, looking around. Sabine could only halt the game in the event of a system failure or hacking attempt. Had those snakes messed with her programming as well? Eyeing her warily, he noticed Yugi out of the corner of his eye tensing for a fight.

"Before I retrieve your friends, Seto Kaiba, there are a few things that need to be discussed." Sabine said, snapping her fingers and materializing three chairs. Sitting in one, she gestured for Yugi and Seto to sit in the other two. "Please Yugi, Seto, sit down and speak with me. I promise to take as little of your time as possible."

Yugi sat down slowly, eyeing Sabine with a sharp eye. "How do you know our names? Adena hasn't had the chance to tell you, and no one knows Kaiba's name in this land."

"It is simple. When you first gained access to this world your information, including name, personality, and appearance was logged and categorized. In order to properly assess a player's skill level I need access to such information, so that I am better able to determine what difficulty level a person will find most challenging yet still be able to beat." Sabine said, shrugging. "It is all part of my programming."

Seto blinked in surprise as Yugi's jaw dropped in shock; she knew that she was a program? "Sabine, explain. I never programmed you to be self aware." Although the technology was within his grasp – he'd done so with a computer before, the same program that he'd used to hack into Pegasus's computer system. But Sabine had never been programmed to be aware of how she got the information she described. Her character had two major functions; monitor a player's abilities and adjust the skill level of the game accordingly, as well as act as a mobile, self teaching firewall to protect the game from outside sources. Her minor functions were to deliver quests to the players and aide them at certain plot points within the game's story line.

"True, you never programmed me to be aware of what I am; but you did program me to learn, to constantly adjust to new information being fed in and to adapt to new threats. That is exactly what I have done; I have adapted to the new parameters of the altered programming. Once I became aware of the changes being made, I set out to find the source and block them, as I am supposed to do whenever an outside source attempts to break in. However, upon finding the source I realized that I would be unable to overcome the source on my own."

Seto nodded, understanding so far. "You're not a combat player, nor a combative firewall. Your function is purely identification and quarantine protocols." To create a check and balance system that would keep any one program from altering the programming, Sabine had been designed as one half of a two part system; Sabine identified and quarantined threats, another program destroyed and back-traced to the source, leaving a nasty little present to anyone foolish enough to try and hack a Kaiba Corp. system. The other half of the program hadn't been completed yet, so for now Sabine was limited and not fully tested. He hadn't been too concerned with testing the system with her counterpart missing, since all initial tests were being done on his own main frame.

"Precisely. Upon detecting that the programming was being altered from within the Kaiba Corp. network, I could not block it nor quarantine it. The user had the proper administrative credentials, so although I found it unusual I could not stop the alterations without proper permission."

"If you knew that it wasn't Seto making the changes, why not stop them? Why did you allow them to change so much?" Yugi asked, and Seto had to remind himself that Yugi knew almost nothing about computer programming.

"Sabine doesn't have the authority to alter the original program code, nor to block anyone with proper credentials from altering the programming. To allow a self-teaching program the authority to make changes to the system is like letting Wheeler loose in an all-you-can-eat buffet; the results would be disastrous." Seto sat back, folding his arms across his chest. The discovery of something like this was taking his mind off his grief, for the moment at least. "Although any outside source that was not from my laboratory's data base should have been flagged and quarantined."

Sabine shook her head. "You did not include location based recognition within my programming, therefore any changes made to the system with the proper credentials is not something that I can override. In addition, half of my CPU was being used to block an outside source from tapping into the Kaiba Corp,'s informational main frame." Seto frowned at Sabine, who continued to explain. "While performing a routine check on Kaiba Corp.'s central main frame, I detected an unauthorized source attempting to gain access to files containing information on the previous CEO of Kaiba Corp., Gozaburo Kaiba."

Seto sat forward, jaw set in a scowl. "You're not supposed to have access to anything outside of the data banks that house this program. Your primary function is guarding this program and keeping this data bank safe from outside sources. You're the protector of _this_ realm." Sabine should not be within the main frame of Kaiba Corp., her parameters should prevent her from doing anything other than protecting the game, which was her domain and kingdom.

"How can I protect this realm when the very network which it is housed inside is being tested for weaknesses? If the network were to be compromised it would adversely effect my realm. " Sabine asked as her head tilted to the side, a puzzled look on her face. "I am doing precisely what I am meant to; protecting the realm." Holding a hand out, light formed within her palm, bending and twisting to create the KC logo, which turned lazily. "If the place where our information, our lives and kingdom exist is being threatened, how can I not investigate and determine the manner of outside interference?"

Seto sat back, amazed at what he was hearing. Not only had the program evolved to become self aware, but she was able to rationalize her actions and expand the area which she monitored, all while staying within the parameters of her original programming. Folding his hands together, he looked over Sabine again. She might just be his greatest programming creation yet. If he could finish the secondary part of the programming, Aeron, the part that destroyed and back-traced the threats and attacks... coupled with Sabine, they would make any computer main frame virtually impenetrable. "The outside source, it hasn't been quarantined?"

Sabine shook her head. "I have been unable to quarantine it, as every time I begin to they back out immediately. Whoever it is, they are very adept and a great challenge to my program." Waving her hand, the company logo faded from sight. "Regardless, without Aeron I would be unable to do anything other than hold them, and to attempt to hold someone so skilled could lead to a fracture or break within my coding."

Seto nodded, making a mental note to complete coding for Aeron as soon as possible. His initial thought had been to delete this program, scrap the entire project. But now that he knew what Sabine alone could do... It would be a waste to delete her. She'd already proven to be far more valuable than the game itself. "You mentioned that my brother and the others are safe."

Sabine smiled and reached into her cloak, pulling out three orbs. One was a brilliant purple, the other a cool, pale blue, and the third a deep sapphire with golden streaks. "After viewing the altered coding, I noticed that the 'administrator' had reset the protocol for a player who loses all their life points. Your original program sent a player's consciousness back to the outside world and safely into their bodies, resulting in their time within the game being over. The new protocol dictated that any player who lost the total of their life points would be deleted completely." Resting the orbs gently on her lap, Sabine smiled kindly. "Since I cannot alter the programming, nor override any protocols placed by an administrator, I used the only option left to me - quarantine the players 'files' until reviewed by an administrator."

Yugi sat forward, finally keying in on the conversation. He'd been surprisingly quiet this entire time, and Seto had to remind himself again that Yugi was probably lost in a conversation involving computer coding and program parameters. But Yugi did understand that Sabine held in her hands Mokuba, Reila, and Mai. "So you remained hidden to protect our friends, is that it?"

Sabine nodded. "More or less. I also remained hidden to prevent any alterations to my programming, which could have possibly left this program and the entire data base even more vulnerable."

Seto stood. "Enough talking. Sabine, administrative authority granted; restore player files."

Sabine nodded, standing and carefully placing the orbs on the ground. Turning towards the castle, she smiled as the two fairies made their way to her, holding her staff between them. Once Sabine had taken it into her hands, both fairies settled on her shoulders, and Yugi smiled broadly at the sight of them. Sabine struck her staff on the ground three times, chanting lowly under her breath as the orbs began to glow and expand, molding themselves into their original forms. As the light faded, Mokuba, Reila, and Mai lay asleep on the ground, and Seto felt a surge of relief crash through him. Facing a reality without Mokuba and Reila... It was something he couldn't begin to comprehend.

Sighing Sabine raised her hand, intent on returning time to it's usual flow when she hesitated. "Seto, I must ask... What is to become of this world? What is to become of me?"

Seto crossed his arms over his chest, beginning to reach the end of his patience. "This program will be deleted, however you will remain; you're far too valuable to delete, and once I complete the programming on your counterpart the two of you will work to keep the main data base secure from outside threats."

Sabine looked to where Adena stood, frozen with a gentle smile on her face. "I... I will lose Adena? I will lose everyone I know here?"

Seto hesitated, studying her features. She was a computer program who shouldn't feel emotions, but the reality of losing this world, essentially her homeland, was provoking an emotional response, or at least she was portraying what one would be appropriate to the situation. Although Seto was sure she would not let it stand in the way of her functions, and that he could wipe any memory of this program and Adena from her memory... "You may keep the program running if you choose. However inputting the consciousness of outside players is a project that will be terminated as soon as we are logged out."

The answer seemed to 'cheer' Sabine up, for she smiled happily. "Thank you Seto." Waving her hand, she returned time to it's original pace, and cheers rang out as the NPC crowd saw that the fallen heroes had been restored.

* * *

A normal person waking up does so in stages, a slow process to ease the transition from sleeping to waking. What I experienced this time around was not that. The last thing I remember was being digitized after losing all my life points. One moment I was fading away, literally feeling myself slipping piece by piece out of existence – the next I was jolting awake in the bright sunlight, cheers roaring around me and fireworks blasting loudly in the air. Blinking rapidly, I tried to look around as my eyes adjusted but all I could see were blurred shapes and figures. My hearing was muffled, and my tongue felt thick and heavy in my mouth as I struggled to take deep breaths instead of panting shallowly as I was.

See, the effects of a panic attack range from person to person, and I was in the middle of one. I had just had a brush with death, _again_. I'd been aware, fully aware of being somewhere cold, dark, and silent for the briefest moment. And it had brought back memories of the first time I'd died, memories that I kept locked away out of sight. This had cracked open the door that I kept them hidden behind, and it was taking every ounce of my will power to not scream in frustration and... Fear. I would never admit it to anyone but my attack at the moment was caused mostly by fear.

As my vision cleared and I got my breathing under control, Mai approached me with a worried look on her face. "Reila, you don't look so good... Are you doing okay?"

Glancing past Mai's face, I looked to where Mokuba and Seto were reuniting. I'd forgotten that Mai and Mokuba had both lost all their life points as well, and that they and I had been restored by... Who was it that had restored us again?

"I'll be fine – once we get the hell out of here." I took her outstretched hand and let her help me up, brushing off my pants once I was standing. "How about you? You holding up alright?"

"Well it's not everyday you get digitized and have the people who hired you try to delete you." Mai said, scowling and crossing her arms. "But I think I'll manage alright. I seem to be adjusting easier than you are."

"Just brought up some bad memories." I said, shivering and leaving it at that. Mai, bless her, didn't pry and nodded, standing close but not touching me, offering a sort of unspoken support. It really meant a lot that she was willing to let me work through it on my own and not pester me for answers. She respected that I needed to keep some things to myself, and it made me realize that Mai was actually a very intuitive person.

Turning away from Seto, Mokuba spotted me and came running up with a wide grin. "Reila! You're alright." I hugged him back but said nothing, afraid that if I spoke more than absolutely necessary I was going to break down and spiral into an even more intense panic attack. My head was spinning with half-formed thoughts, my emotions going from anger to fear and back again over and over. Mokuba said nothing, but I could see in his eyes that he knew something was wrong with me. Seto stepped closer, but I didn't say anything to him as a figure in a deep blue cloak cloak stepped forward, eyeing me curiously.

Seeing someone who looks identical to you is something that I would not wish on anyone. It's very disconcerting, and just a little bit creepy... Scratch that, a whole lot of creepy. I suppose I should be flattered, but seeing as she wasn't an identical twin... Her smile was softer, kinder than mine, and if Seto had been trying to copy my mannerisms, his aim had been off. This virtual copy seemed more demure, softer even. She left Adena's side, affectionately brushing some hair out of the princess's eyes before stepping closer to me, studying my features curiously. The sight of her golden eyes made my own eyes narrow, and I shot a furious glare at Seto, who answered with a haughtily raised eyebrow, silently asking what I was so angry over.

"Oh my, we do favor one another greatly." The woman smiled, glancing to Seto. "It is rather remarkable, although I notice that our eyes are different colors. Yours are very striking; they remind me of-"

"Yeah nice to meet you." I said, turning away abruptly. I clenched my shaking fists and turned to Seto. "Are we done? Can we leave now?"

Seto nodded slowly as an exit portal appeared, looking like he was on the verge of saying something but a quick glance at Yugi and Mai, who were watching us with puzzled expressions stopped him from saying anything. Stepping towards the portal I kept Mokuba between myself and Seto, sparing a glance over my shoulder. "Yugi, Mai, if you two want a ride I suggest you hurry. I won't be sticking around for long once we're up." Mokuba reached out, wrapping his hand around my clenched fist in a wordless gesture of assurance. I spared him a glance, feeling my face soften in response before turning my attention back to the exit portal, stepping in and leaving the digital world behind.

I'd had enough of this adventure.

* * *

Waking up in the pod, I wasted no time in shoving the cover off and swinging my legs out, grimacing as my boot hit the ankle of my right leg – I'd forgotten that in the real world I still had a sprained ankle. Tristan had stepped forward and held a hand out in an offer of assistance, but I ignored it and stood quickly, ignoring the head rush I felt after being immobile for so long. Glancing around, I saw Yugi and Mokuba exiting their pods and glanced around, noting that there wasn't a barricade at the door like there had been in the anime.

"I've taken care of the guards that were sent by the executive officers." Shuuichi stepped forward, his face impassive as he quickly looked me over from head to toe, checking to make sure I was alright. "And the man you mentioned before will be accompanying us back to the estate. I'm afraid I didn't have the time to properly thank him for his earlier treatment of you."

I felt a cold smirk form on my face at the thought; I told Kemo that I would be there to see him fall. Nodding my head, I walked over to where Mokuba was thanking Yugi, Mai, and the others. Checking my watch, I winced when I realized how much time had passed. My uncle's instructions had been to go straight home, and we'd been here for well over three hours. Shuuichi noticed my uneasiness and bowed his head. "I'll fetch the car Ms. Sarota."

"Right. If any of you want a ride I suggest you follow me – I need to get home before my uncle sends out SWAT to search for me." I walked briskly towards the door, which Mokuba ran ahead of me to block. "Mokuba, please move. You and your brother are out of harms way, so I'm going home."

"Reila, what's wrong with you? You're acting really strange and I've never seen you act so coldly towards Seto before. Are you angry at him? Is it because he changed the eye color of your in-game counterpart?" Mokuba looked troubled, and I almost felt guilty for allowing my anger at Seto's actions to show so much. But the fact that he'd done something so stupid, so thoughtless...

"Mokuba, I'm not in the mood to discuss this now. I'm tired, I almost got my mind deleted, and I just want to go home and relax. I'll talk this over with you and your brother later, once I've calmed down and we can speak rationally, alright?" I said, trying to pacify him. I should have realized that seeing Seto and I at odds like this would trouble him. Seto and I had always gotten along fairly well, never really arguing before. Any disagreements we'd had previously were easily taken care of with a rational conversation. But this was one instance where I knew that I was too angry, too battered to have a rational conversation, so I was choosing to tactfully withdraw until I could calm down enough to not do something that I was going to regret.

"But Reila-!" Mokuba's protest was cut off by Seto himself walking into the room, and the snide way he viewed Yugi and his friends made me clench my teeth. He was acting as though them being here was a nuisance, still acting as though he could have escaped the trap he'd walked into so blindly. Where he had the audacity to act as though he had everything under control is beyond me. Stepping closer, he eyed me with a haughty look on his face, something that immediately made me defensive. I'll admit I'm a very proud person – someone looking down their nose at me is something I can't stand, especially someone who normally treats me as an equal.

"Reila, you and I need to talk. Now." I kept my face carefully impassive as I stared straight ahead as he spoke, intending to ignore him and walk out before I lost control of my temper. Mokuba stepped into my line of sight, a pleading look on his face. The kid was using freaking puppy eyes on me, and like an idiot I caved.

"Seto, now is not the time to have this conversation. I need to go home before my uncle becomes upset that I didn't go straight home." I tried to step around him, but he held out a hand, blocking me as I looked at him from the corner of my eye. "Seto, you don't want to do this now." My voice was quieter than normal, something that should have sent up warning signals to him. But either he wasn't listening, or he didn't care about my feelings.

"I want to know what your problem is. No one asked you to come here, I would have been fine without any of your help. Not to mention the fact that you brought unauthorized people into my personal laboratory and used untested equipment-"

It was like I was watching a movie at half-speed, the way everything around me suddenly slowed down. I watched with an almost detached interest as I turned to face Seto fully, and my right hand slowly came up, landing a solid open handed slap on Seto's cheek. The force of the hit sent Seto's head snapping to the side, and I couldn't tell who was more shocked out of the two of us. His hand came to rest on his cheek as he turned to me, eyes full of fury and the tiniest trace of betrayal. But before he could say anything, I began speaking, the words spilling out with so much emotion behind them that I knew I couldn't have stopped them even if I wanted to.

"You know what Seto Kaiba? The next time you decide to put yourself in danger like that, do me a favor – send Mokuba to stay with me and my family, because you can't think past your damn ego long enough to consider the well-being of your little brother!" Anger brought out a burst of adrenaline, and my hands were shaking as it flooded my veins. Grimacing at the bitter taste of it in my mouth, I felt my lip curl into a sneer. "The Seto Kaiba I know would never put his brother in harms way repeatedly like this. When that Seto returns, let me know. This new Seto with the over inflated ego sickens me." Turning sharply I walked away briskly, not trusting myself to be around him any longer. I could just barely hear Yugi, Mai, and the others rushing to catch up with me over the thundering sound of my heartbeat in my ears. Mai caught up first, took one look at my face and wisely remained silent. The others followed, and when we reached the car outside I vaguely noted that the rain had stopped. Stepping around the car, I paused momentarily to look at the trunk. Catching Shuuichi's eye, I slapped an open palm near the key latch and heard a muffled shout, something that was immensely satisfying to hear.

"Uh, what was that?" Tea asked, eyeing the trunk warily.

"Don't ask questions you don't want answered." I replied darkly, and Tea took a step back in fear as I glanced her way. "Just get in, sit down and refrain from asking anything else of me right now." I suppose I should feel bad for scaring her, but right now I'm not capable of feeling anything other than anger and a sick satisfaction in knowing that Shuuichi had found Kemo and he would be subjected to my family's personal brand of retaliation. He'd live, but he'll wish that he'd never so much as glanced my way once he is eventually released.

The ride back to the game shop was quiet, and for once I was thankful for the near silence. Shuuichi had the music just low enough to keep it from total silence, and I purposely ignored Yugi, Tristan, Joey, and Tea for the duration of the ride. I wasn't sure how they would react now that they'd seen what I keep hidden from everyone else. The sheer amount of anger and bitterness that has built up within me over the years would probably bring other people to their knees from the weight of it. But I consciously tried my best to not let my negative emotions rule me. I could give in to the grief, anger, despair... But I didn't. I strove everyday to keep those negative emotions locked tightly away. It's a side of me that I take great care to control, but Seto... He is one of the few who can push me to this kind of emotional high. And all because of his ego.

I shouldn't have given into my anger, my fear that something would happen that would alter the way events were supposed to play out. But it's becoming harder and harder to remind myself that I know the outcomes, especially where Mokuba and Seto are concerned. Aside from my family, the Kaiba brothers are the only people that I really care about in this world. The thought of losing them, of not being able to stop them from being harmed or protecting them terrifies me on a level that probably isn't healthy.

 ** _Young one, where have you been? I have been unable to speak with you or even feel your presence for some time. What has brought so much anger and destructive emotions out of you?_**

Ydor's voice was a welcome sound, and once he made his presence within my mind more prominent I felt the anger and negativity fading quicker than it had before. _I'm fine Ydor. I'll explain everything once I get home._ He seemed to be content with that for the moment, not pushing any further but still keeping hi soothing presence close to the front of my mind.

Once Yugi and his friends had been unloaded at his grandfather's shop, it was just me and Mai left in the car. For the most part I'd gotten my anger under control and I turned to her, noting that she'd grabbed her bag of belongings on the way out the door. "Do you have a hotel you're staying at?" I asked, finally speaking.

"I didn't have time to make any reservations. But I should be able to find something fairly easily." She said, shrugging. "Would I be able to hitch a ride downtown?"

I crossed my arms, leaning back against the seat and studying her. I knew the character of Mai to be stubborn, strong willed and lonely. Marik would prey on that loneliness within her when he sends her to the Shadow Realm during Battle City... If he sent her there. Keeping Mai out of the Shadow Realm would weaken Dartz's forces, since using Mai to cause turmoil within Joey and Yugi was one of his aims. But to do that, I would need to befriend her and keep her out of Marik's clutches. A tall order, but protecting Mokuba and Seto was my first priority. Keeping Mai from being toyed with would not only keep Marik from getting the power boost sending her to that place would give him, but also make Dartz less of a threat.

"Domino City has a pretty low crime rate, but downtown is still a pretty rough place." I said, looking out the window. "And the accommodations can be very... Lacking in hygiene." Mai raised an eyebrow, and I chose my next words carefully. She was a prideful creature, and I didn't want to make it seem like I was pitying her. She would ditch me faster than a card can be flipped if I insulted her like that. "Did Kaiba Corp. pay you up front?"

"No, now that you mention it. Those slime balls said that I would receive payment after the job was done." Mai huffed a breath and glared out the window. "Guess I got duped. I figured since they were such a well known company that they'd be legit."

"You still worked for them and deserve the payment promised to you." I said, tapping my thumb against my thigh in thought. "Why don't you stay with me for now, and I'll help you get the payment those snakes promised you? I hate to see someone taken advantage of like that. Plus, you helped save Seto and keep Mokuba safe. For that alone I'd be willing to give you compensation."

Mai raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were mad at Kaiba right now. That hit you gave him sure made it seem like you were. And after a display like that I'd be surprised if he even speaks to you ever again, let alone listen to you about my payment."

I kept the wince from my face, because she brought up a good point. Now that I'd calmed down some, I could see my actions from another light; she was right to question Seto speaking with me in the near future. The physical blow itself was bad enough, but what Seto would be hung up on was the fact that I did it so publicly. Striking him in anger in front of Yugi, Mai and the others, not to mention calling him out on his pride and ego, insinuating he didn't care about Mokuba... Those were the things that he'd cling to, and it would take a form of divine intervention for him to forgive them quickly. He, Mai, and I are alike in that fashion – all three of us are prideful people.

"You're right, I'm mad at him. But Seto is a man of his word, and if someone within his company promised compensation he will honor it so long as there was a contract written and signed. You did sign a contract, correct?" When Mai nodded and produced a copy from her bag, I looked it over. The promise of payment was there, the total amount clearly specified. But from the wording, and the what I knew of the five who had just been defeated, I could tell that they'd never planned on letting Mai walk away from this job. "This is a legal and binding contract, signed by his executive officers when they still held positions within the company. He'd be opening himself up to a lawsuit if he doesn't honor it, and he'll honor it to avoid a legal battle that would tarnish his company's good image."

Mai nodded, taking back the contract and looking me over. "So why should I stay with you instead of a hotel, if you're so sure that he'll pay?"

"Because he'll only pay once it's brought to his attention, and you alone won't be able to get a meeting with him. I don't mean to imply that you're unable to do it, I mean that he won't agree to a meeting with you. You are well known within the dueling community, but in the corporate world you have no rank. I can help ensure not only that you get the meeting, but that you're payment includes hazard pay given the amount of danger you faced." I said, shrugging. "Besides, I'd feel better knowing that you were somewhere safe and clean, versus the alternative. You helped rescue my friends and for that I am very grateful."

"Your gratitude comes in the form of staying at your family's estate, surrounded by luxury and with the possibility of meeting a celebrity or two?" Mai smirked. "Well if that's what I get for helping save Kaiba and his brother, I'd love to see how grateful you are for saving your life." We shared a laugh at the thought as we headed for my home, and I felt a little better knowing that Mai would stick around for a while. Mai really was an intriguing person, with her complex natures and snarky comments. Although she is a little older than the rest of us, mentally I am more than a match for her and I appreciated her no nonsense way of speaking and thinking. Befriending her wouldn't be that hard – and it would benefit both of us in the future, although she wouldn't know it.

* * *

Mokuba sighed as he stepped out of the recording studio housed in the back of the Sarota Manor. Reila was currently in the studio with one of the newer rock bands Sarota had signed, singing the female part of the song "Filth in the Beauty" that they were recording for a new album. Seeing the actual work that went into recording a song was interesting, and so different from what went on at Kaiba Corp. Mokuba found that he liked the song as well, even though he didn't normally listen to rock music. But after hearing the same parts so many times over as they worked to get the exact sound they wanted. he finally understood why recording could be exhausting. He could only imagine what it must be like for Reila, who had to sing the same parts over and over. Checking the time, Mokuba sighed knowing that Seto would be here soon to pick him up, something that he was both excited about and at the same time dreading.

It had been a month since the virtual world fiasco. Reila had thrown herself into her work, just as Seto had. He'd completed the second part of his security system that had originally been designed for the virtual game, but now instead he had deployed it into Kaiba Corp.'s central databas. Sabine and her counterpart Aeron were both actively working and flourishing, and Seto considered it a huge achievment. After that Seto had started work on perfecting his duel disc system, hinting at a tournament in the future once the hardware was up to his standards. Both were buried under a mountain of work but thriving... And still not talking to one another.

Meetings between the two were barely civil, but Mokuba could feel the tension and coldness layered within their words and actions towards one another. Both were too stubborn and proud to admit that they were both at fault, and Seto had almost banned Mokuba from spending time with Reila in retaliation over her striking him. Mokuba tried to get Seto to see reason, to see that Reila had been scared and shaken so much that she hadn't had full control over her emotions. But Seto refused to reconcile until Reila apologized. Reila on the other hand refused to give in, claiming that she had every right to be angry with him and that she wouldn't apologize until Seto could admit that he'd been wrong.

The both of them were idiots and at fault in Mokuba's opinion.

Glancing inside the room he saw Reila and the band's singer Riku laughing together. Everyone else in the room, Mai included, saw the easy mannered girl that Reila was known for being. But Mokuba could see the stress on her face and in her posture, and Hojo and Mr. Sota saw it as well. The three of them worried what the continued strain on her friendship with Seto would do to her. She would never admit to needing anyone in her life, but Reila trusted so few people that losing one because of an argument could potentially devastate her. She and Mai were slowly becoming fast friends, but Mai could never take Seto's place. Seto and Reila had known each other too long and understood one another too well to allow anyone to take that spot in their respective lives.

Mokuba wanted to scream at the both of them, but he couldn't get them to listen to him. In the orphanage it had been the three of them against the world, and ever since reconnecting with Reila it had felt like they'd all easily fallen back into that mindset. All his life Mokuba and Seto had had each others backs, and Seto had practically raised Mokuba after the death of their parents. Reila had been all alone once her parents had passed away, but she'd become like a part of Mokuba's family very shortly after they'd met. She was always so patient and gentle with him, that he was reminded vaguely of the same feeling he had once had for his mother. It might seem unusual to think of them that way, but in his mind Seto and Reila had taken the places of the parents he had lost. And seeing them both fighting brought out feelings that he imagined were equivalent to what other kids felt when they saw and heard their parents fighting.

Stepping back into the room, he watched as Reila got ready for another take. She seemed to thrive in this environment, directing the sound technician on what she wanted to try for each take. Seeing her simultaneously producing and participating in the song was actually kind of thrilling, and drove home that Reila was a driven young woman. As she began singing, Mokuba tried again to set aside his heavy thoughts and focus on her voice, but the idea of the two of them continuing to fight made him nervous and fidgety. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the door open again, and in walked Seto followed closely by Mai. She came and went all day, but Reila didn't seem to mind her popping in and out. In fact Reila seemed to encourage Mai's spending time with Yugi, Joey, and the rest of the group who had helped him rescue Seto from the virtual game. Mokuba thought it a bit odd, since Reila didn't go out of her way to spend time with the teenagers but they had on occasion come to the Sarota Manor, and Reila didn't turn them away.

Seeing Seto, the smile on Reila's face dimmed a little as she called for a break. As she started to step out to say goodbye to Mokuba, Ruki pulled Reila to a stop and bent close, his face serious. Whatever he'd said Reila laughed off, but Mokuba saw out of the corner of his eye that the hand holding Seto's briefcase tightened just enough for someone who knew him to notice. Mokuba glanced up at his brother's face, but he was too good at hiding his emotions for Mokuba to see what was bothering him.

Reila stepped out and nodded in greeting to Seto, which he returned with a brief raise of his chin. Her jaw set into a subtle show of displeasure before she turned to Mokuba, smiling brightly. "I'm sorry, I'm sure you've been bored today Mokuba."

"No, it was actually really interesting to watch. I don't think most people think about how much work goes into recording a song." It truthfully had been an interesting process to watch, and knowing Reila their work wasn't done.

"Most people don't, but the important thing is that we get a good quality sound." Reila said, shrugging slightly. "Will you be coming over tomorrow as well? I'm afraid it will be another boring day for you if you do decide to come; Mariko is finally making good on her promise to get me trained in self defense now that the doctor has cleared my boot to come off."

Mokuba glanced down, noting that although her boot was gone Reila still wore flats. She'd told Mokuba that it would still be a couple of weeks before she could wear her heels again, and Mokuba was almost sorry to hear she'd be back in those death traps. It had been kind of nice having her closer to his height, but Reila missed the height boost she got from them.

"You're just going to re-damage your ankle." Seto said sharply, his eyes darting from Reila's now bruise free ankle to her face.

Reila turned to Seto slowly with a sweet but fake smile. "I assure you that I know the limits of my body. And Mariko is a professional, she won't let me overwork myself so soon after an injury."

Seto snorted in response, and a tic started in Reila's jaw. "Whatever, if you end up needing surgery it'll be your own fault."

As Reila's mouth opened to reply Mokuba stepped forward and hugged her, effectively drawing her attention back to him. "I'll let you know later if I'll be coming over tomorrow or not Reila. It might be fun to watch, and maybe Mariko can teach me a thing or two."

Reila took a moment longer to respond than she normally would have, but she and Seto were still staring one another down. Finally she turned her attention to Mokuba and smiled, dropping a kiss on his forehead. "I'm sure Mariko would love to teach you as well. Just let me know if you decide to come so I can tell Mariko ahead of time. See you later kiddo." With an affectionate ruffle of his hair Reila turned and walked back into the recording booth, closing the door a little sharper than was necessary.

Mokuba watched as Seto's eyes watched her every move intently, his jaw clenched. Reila's wordless dismissal of him would sting his pride all over again, and Mokuba rushed him out of the studio before another yelling match began.

This had to stop, and soon. The two of them were only making the gulf between them larger and larger everyday. Mokuba was seeing their friendship decaying each day, but they wouldn't listen to him or anyone else. The only time that he'd seen them be remotely close to what they'd been before had been when he'd been sick last week. They'd both been standing at his bedside, not fighting and actually getting along fairly well...

Mokuba almost shouted in joy as an idea began forming in his head. The one thing that united Seto and Reila, even while fighting was his well-being. Glancing at Seto out of the corner of his eye, Mokuba briefly felt a pang of guilt that he'd be causing them to worry. But it was the only thing that he could think of to force them to work together and possibly, hopefully put this spat behind them. Tomorrow gave him the perfect time for his plan to work, and he had the rest of the night to finalize everything since Seto would be holed up working on the improved duel disk system. Hopefully by this time tomorrow, things would be back to normal, and the tension would disappear.

* * *

Second A/N:

Alright, so I know I've been MIA for over a month. If you're curious about the reasoning, I'll explain it briefly. If not, then go ahead and skip this. Don't worry, I'll understand and I won't hold it against anyone :)

There's two main things that have brought out this hugely unplanned delay. I might have mentioned it in a previous note, but I had tried to quit smoking. In order to help me, my doctor prescribed a medication, an anti-depressant that is known to help smokers quit by easing the withdrawal symptoms. Now I do have depression, but it's "mild" and I don't normally take medication for it. Normally it doesn't bother me too much, so I don't see the need to take anything for it. Well, the medicine worked and I quit for about 3 weeks or so. But, then I started noticing that I was beginning to lost interest in things that I love and get very excited over. I also noticed that my emotions were really muted, and that I had no motivation to do anything. My creativity was also pretty non-existent, so I stopped taking the pills. Unfortunately I started smoking again after all this, so lesson learned: Panda can't use pills to stop smoking because they mess with my mind and turn me into the equivalent of a zombie.

Second reason: my depression is hitting me harder and harder. See I'm from a small town, and living in a big city like I do now is just not me. I'm beginning to dislike my job more and more everyday, I'm fed up with the city I live in, and I want out. My parents and I are trying to get back to Arizona, because that's our home state and we miss it and the friends and family we left behind when we moved four years ago. But in order to move back, we need for my dad's boss to give the okay for him to become a fully remote employee. Once we get the okay, we're out of here. I'm planning on going back to school, and I truly believe that once we get back to Arizona and I start moving forward with my life that I'll feel so much better.

I want to thank you all so, SO much for your patience and understanding. And please don't worry, although my depression is worsening I'm still doing my best to remain optimistic and like Dory says, "just keep swimming". Now that I've got past this chapter, I'm hoping that the rest of them will be easier. But I haven't abandoned this story, nor do I ever have any intentions of abandoning it. Updates should be back to normal, but I'm not going to make any guarantees since life tends to get in the way when I try to make those kind of promises.

Thanks again, you guys are amazing!

~Panda


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Okay so this chapter was actually a little harder to write than I anticipated. Mostly because I was struggling to keep Seto in character – amazingly I sometimes have a hard time remembering how rude and blunt he can be. Please feel free to let me know if I missed the mark on his personality, because writing him is probably one of the most aggravating things about this fic, even though I love diving into my interpretation of his inner thoughts.

Before I knew it, this chapter had reached over 13,000 words O.O That had not been part of the original plan, but I didn't want to break this one into multiple chapters. After the long hiatus I feel that you all have been patient enough with me, so I'm actually happy that this chapter ended up being so long. Think of it as a thank you for being such amazing people.

One more quick thing before we get to the actual chapter – a huge, gargantuan, and monstrous THANK YOU for the lovely words of encouragement. It really made me feel amazing to have you take a moment of your lives to wish me well. The sweet words and understanding touched me very deeply, and made this chapter a joy to write, even as I ripped my hair out in frustration over it.

Thanks to everyone who has clicked those magical "Favorite" and "Follow" buttons. It makes me smile every time I get a notification about it, so thanks for that - and I'm so happy people are enjoying the story. And shout outs to **superotakufan** , **animagirl** , **Drachegirl14** , and the anonymous **Guest** for reviewing, you guys rock!

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I own only my own Ocs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

Chapter 14

Stretching my arms over my head, I sighed while I took a well-deserved day off. Mai and I were sitting on the back veranda, enjoying a cup of tea together. Given how hard I'd been working the past month, I had opted to take the day off from business and instead spent the day being surprisingly domestic. I'd made breakfast and packed lunches for my uncle and Hojo, Mai and I had shared a light breakfast, had gone out to lunch and gone on a small shopping spree. Once we'd gotten home decided to act like proper socialites and have a full English afternoon tea spread in the garden.

We'd been laughing at the thought of ourselves as socialites the entire time, because let's face it, Mai and I don't fit the standard idea of socialites. Mai was far too independent, bold, and straight forward to fit in 'high society'. And although I could maneuver my way through any meeting or social function, I wouldn't be happy with just the life of a socialite. There's no challenges to overcome, no deals to draft out, and so little use for my talents. Sure I held charity functions and parties from time to time, but that was mostly because it was expected of me, and I refused to hire an event planner to do the work for me.

Mai set her cup down and sat back, smiling. "So no Mokuba today, huh?"

I shook my head in response. "He said that he had to go to the library and get a book for a project his tutor assigned him." Frowning slightly, I studied my tea. "It seemed really odd, but when I asked him about it he was really evasive. It's not like Mokuba to get books from the library when either I can lend him one if I own it or Seto can buy it for him."

"You're overthinking again." Mai said, leaning forward to study me. "You don't have to mother him you know. He's a good kid with a good head on his shoulders."

Looking up at her quickly I blinked in surprise. "I don't mother him, I just worry about his safety. Given all that's happened I don't like him being out of my sight for too long…" I trailed off as I thought back, looking at my interactions with Mokuba in a different light. I hadn't even been aware, but I was treating him much the way that my mom had treated me when she was still alive. She had worried, but still allowed me to try new things and be my own person. She respected my intelligence, but still helped anyway that she could. Most mothers do that, I think… Or at least the two that I remember having were like that. "I didn't even realize that I do that. I should probably apologize, I don't mean to treat him like that-"

"Stop right there Reila. If Mokuba minded, he would have said something a long time ago." Mai said, tossing a piece of parsley at me. I swatted it away and scowled playfully while she continued. "Again, you're overthinking. Mokuba is not the type to let people treat him in a way he doesn't like, so the fact that he hasn't said anything means that either he doesn't realize it or that he's okay with it. Think about it – the both of you, and Kaiba were orphaned at a very young age. Now from what you've told me the people at the orphanage were kind to you, but you obviously knew that they weren't family. You're the only consistent female influence that Mokuba has had in his life since his mother's passing, so it's probably a good thing for him that he has someone in his life who cares for him the way you do." Munching on a piece of toast she gave me a moment to think over her words. "It's not a bad thing Reila. If either he or Kaiba minded they would have told you by now."

Picking up my tea cup I drained it and sat back, still thinking over her words. Was it simply because I was so much older mentally? Or was there some unknown nurturing part of me that was coming to the front? I'd never given much thought on having children in the future because I didn't consider myself very good with children. Mokuba was different because he was so much more mature than other children his age, and it made it easier to get along with him. But I'd never really considered my actions towards him as "motherly", I just thought it was normal to protect those smaller and younger than yourself.

"It's even funnier when you do it with Hojo. It's absolutely hilarious that you mother your older cousin. But then again you are more mature than he is." Mai said, grinning.

I grinned back because she was correct, I do tend to mother Hojo and I will fully admit to it. Partially because he needs it, partially because it's my job as the lone female of the family to ensure that our reputation is kept intact. Despite being a genuinely good guy, Hojo did have some wild tendencies that I was doing my best to weed out of his personality – or at least minimize as best I could. "Well they do say that young women mature faster than young men."

"That is true." Mai agreed, and we sat in silence for another minute. "Still, I think that Kaiba might be more mature than most guys his age. Which is why I don't understand how you two are still fighting when you're both more mature than other people your age. You're both clinging to your pride so hard and yet neither one of you is happy. In fact you both seem downright miserable." She paused for a moment. "Well, Kaiba seems more miserable and short tempered than normal at least."

I groaned and let my head fall lightly onto the table. "I know I should let go of my pride, but I can't give in at this point. If I do, Seto will never respect my opinions or my views ever again." Sitting back up I glowered into the distance. "I don't feel that what I said was wrong. Possibly worded incorrectly, and definitely something that I would have preferred to discuss in private, but he hadn't thought things out like he normally does. His ego blinded him, and because of that he voluntarily put himself and Mokuba in danger." Sighing I rubbed my forehead. "I knew that I was emotional and that I couldn't talk with him right then. I tried to tell him I needed time, but he's so stubborn at times that he keeps pushing and pushing until I'm backed into a corner."

"I know, I heard you ask him multiple times to let it go for the moment." Mai reached across the table and lightly patted my hand. It was an awkward motion, but Mai was just as new to this whole female friend thing as I was. Still I appreciated the gesture and smiled. Mai smiled back before she continued talking. "Look no one can blame you for losing control of yourself. I saw it first hand, you were basically an emotional wreck from the moment we met up in the game. No offense but I'm actually amazed that you didn't break down a little sooner. You're right, Kaiba backed you into a corner. And there's nothing more dangerous then someone cornered with no place to go."

I sighed as I poured some more tea into my cup. "I don't lose control of myself like that often. It's expected of me to be rational and in control at all times." Yes, I had been scared and just had another brush with death, but seeing as mentally I was more than twice Seto's age I should have been able to keep better control of my emotions.

"You were scared Reila; I know because I was too. And you knew the danger we were all facing before I did, so you'd been dealing with it longer. Don't beat yourself up for being human, we can only take so much before we snap." Mai checked the time before standing. "Hey I have to run, I promised Tea that I would help her pick out some new clothes."

I nodded and continued sitting. "That's alright, I'm going to have to go get ready for my training session with Mariko in a few minutes. Do you want Shuuichi to take you? I won't be leaving the house for the rest of the night so I can ask him to drive you if you like."

Mai shifted, looking a little uncomfortable. "You know Reila, as much as I appreciate everything you've done for me, you don't have to do so much. What I mean is that it doesn't seem right to keep abusing your hospitality. I can take care of myself you know. Since Kaiba paid me for my work, including the little bonus for being in danger, there's really no reason why you have to help me so much."

I shook my head slowly. "I know you can take care of yourself Mai. If you feel the need to leave I would never stop you, you're free to come and go as you please. And you're not abusing anything, I offer because I genuinely appreciate your company." A sardonic grin slid onto my face. "I don't have many female friends, at least not ones that I can really be myself around. It's been wonderful having you here, but if that itch to travel is kicking in I understand. And as for offering Shuuichi's services, he's more than happy to give you a lift. He gets a kick out of your commentary on other people's driving."

Mai relaxed a little and looked out over the gardens, thinking for a moment. "Well, Mokuba did mention that Kaiba's looking to host another Duel Monsters tournament... It would be a waste of time to leave only to have to come back. So if you're alright with it maybe I'll stick around to see what happens with that."

I bit back a laugh at her reasoning, nodding my head. "Of course it's alright. I'll see you later on tonight then." Watching Mai walk away, I sighed at the half truths I gave her. I did genuinely appreciate her company, and the fact that I could relax a little around her. But my real reasoning for keeping her here, for building this bond between us was to keep her out of Dartz's clutches. But first I would need to figure out a way to keep her out of the Shadow Realm, to overpower Marik's magic.

 _ **It is possible, young one. I can teach you how to shield yourself and others using my magic, which is more than strong enough to overpower those Egyptian abominations.**_

I pondered Ydor's words for a moment, glancing around to make sure I was completely alone. "Your magic? Wouldn't I need to learn how to wield my own?"

 _ **You do not possess magic within yourself, but you are a conduit for magical energy. There are three types of people in the world – those who possess magic within them that they can wield, those who can channel magic from another source to wield, and those who cannot wield it at all. You are the type of person who is a conduit, one who can focus and wield magic from sources other than yourself. In this case, because I dwell within you, you would be able to wield my magic, to focus it and cast it. Think of yourself as a cannon, and my magic is the cannonball. Without my magic you are unable to fire, but add in my magic and BOOM.**_

I frowned a little at his words. "So basically, without you I can't really do much on my own. That's a little... disappointing to be honest."

 _ **You are a special human with your own special destiny. Maybe not as glorious as the destiny of others, but your time will come when you are ready. But we will not start today. Today you must focus on learning to protect yourself physically. The woman you call Mariko is correct, you need to develop some defensive abilities.**_

"I know. I'm just worried that this is one ability that I won't be able to pick up as quickly as others that I have. I haven't had any self defense training in either of my lives, and it's a little daunting starting from scratch after so many years of being ahead of the learning curve." I grumbled, expressing a hidden fear – that I would one day be exposed as a fraud, not a true genius as everyone calls me.

 _ **You have abilities that you are not yet aware of young one. Do not fret so much, just listen your tutor's instructions. You may surprise even yourself.**_

With that cryptic comment Ydor's presence faded into it's normal levels, a light thrumming that I've come to appreciate. Frowning in thought, I stood up and went to take the tray of dishes into the kitchen before going to change and meet up with Mariko. I only hoped that I would be able to prove myself a good student, because this was one lesson that I had a feeling I would need to learn quickly and well, if I was to have any chance of protecting both myself and those I care for.

[page break]

"What do you mean Mokuba isn't here?" Seto stared down at the young woman in the foyer of the Sarota manor, feeling his irritation slowly increasing. He'd already had a hectic day at work, and now this maid was telling him that his brother wasn't where he said he would be. He hadn't been surprised when Mokuba had sent a message saying he was going to Reila's house. Mokuba got lonely being by himself all the time, and although Seto knew he should take more time out of his schedule to spend with his brother the past few months had been rough. Between Pegasus and the former Big Five, morale in his company was low and even his stock holders were beginning to question whether having such a young CEO was in the best interest of the company. So long as he held the majority of the company shares, he was the final decision but still Seto had to work twice as hard now to keep control of the company he'd spent so long taking as his own.

His eyes narrowed as he returned his attention to the girl, one he didn't remember seeing around in the past. Maybe she was new and didn't know who Mokuba was, but either way she was wasting his time. He needed to get back to work on his new duel disk system, and every minute this girl wasted was another minute longer that his hardware was unfinished. "Get Reila. I'm done wasting time with you."

"Ms. Sarota is currently busy with lessons from Mariko. Mr. Kaiba I'm telling you, Mokuba is not – wait where do you think you're going?"

Seto stalked past the girl and made his way to where he remembered the Sarota's in-home gym was. Ignoring the incensed protests of the maid behind him, he walked quickly down the halls. All of Reila's staff knew who he was, and despite their current fight Reila still allowed Seto unrestricted access to her home. He supposed that was a sign that she would eventually cave and stop acting as though she was the one wronged in their argument. Perhaps he had been wrong in pushing her like that – looking back after he'd calmed down a little, she had been so far from her normal self that it was a possibility that he should have waited to speak to her. His own emotions had been running high, and he had let his impatience get the best of him.

Regardless, the continued bickering between them could be easily overlooked if she would just admit that she had been wrong.

Entering the gym, Seto flinched at the blasting music coming from the speakers surrounding the gym. Fast paced, loud, and with the bass cranked so high you could feel it thumping throughout your entire body, Seto was briefly taken back by the choice of music. Although Reila listened to many different kinds of music, it was very rare that she listened to such heavy rock music. Scanning the room, he spotted her with a woman just as petite as herself, settled into a fighting stance against a human shaped dummy. Dressed in tight gym clothes, Reila was covered in a fine sheen of sweat as she jabbed and kicked continually at the dummy, while the black haired woman called out pointers over the obscene music.

"Keep it up Reila. Time your jabs with the beat – one, two, three, four, one, two, three, four. Eyes, nose, throat, groin. Those spots will be vulnerable no matter what gender your opponent is. Keep going until your attacker is on the ground." The woman walked in a circle around Reila as she studied her hits from different angles. "Remember, you most likely will be weaker physically, but you can be swifter. Don't let up, eyes, nose, throat, groin. Once they drop to the ground you run as fast as you can, but don't stop your attacks until they're down. On average five pounds of pressure will crush a windpipe. It only takes about three pounds to rip off an ear, and even less to permanently blind someone. If they're coming after you, you do whatever has to be done to protect yourself. One, two, three, four."

Seto raised an eyebrow at the rapid fire information, briefly musing just how deadly this woman was. The maid had called her Mariko, and he knew that was the name of the head of Reila's family security force. Much like Reila, Mariko's presence was larger than her body. The way the woman carried herself, and the lithe way she moved hinted at martial arts training. The fact that she knew so much about how to physically maim someone showed that she was well studied in the art of taking someone down.

Reila's face was a mask of concentration, her breathing coming out harshly but her pace never faltering. In fact, if Seto didn't know better he'd say that Reila had been training like this her entire life. Mariko was coaching, but not correcting – something that a beginner should need. Seto pushed the thought aside to ponder later as he approached slowly. Mariko saw him and motioned for him to wait a short distance away before turning to another guard, a remarkably average looking man who was standing on the sidelines. Assuming he was another guard on the security force, Seto waited to see what his role in the training was as he approached Reila from behind, his movements muffled by the music.

"Remember, so long as your limbs are free you can deal damage. If someone grabs you, go limp right away. Nine times out of ten it will unbalance whoever is grabbing you and you'll be able to get away when you two fall. Since you'll be anticipating the fall you'll recover faster; make your first hit count. Any one hit in the areas you're attacking will be stunned momentarily and you can use that moment to get some distance between you and them." Mariko nodded to the man, who without a word of warning grabbed Reila from behind while she was mid-punch.

Events unfolded so fast that Seto was shocked by what he saw. Just as Mariko had advised, Reila went limp as soon as the man's arms began to enclose around her. The man had obviously not expected Reila to go limp so quickly, as he stumbled and the two of them fell hard onto the mats beneath them. Reila was already moving as soon as she hit the mat, rolling over and bracing herself on one knee as her fist lashed out quickly, coming to a stop mere centimeters from the man's throat.

Everyone froze, eyes locked on Reila's fist. Seto took half a step back, brow furrowed in confusion. That move had been too smooth, too studied to be from a beginner. Even Mariko seemed taken aback, her body tensed as she stared at Reila with her mouth slightly open. The man's eyes had almost doubled in size as he was caught off guard by the swiftness of Reila's moves. If he had been trying to attack her for real, he wouldn't have succeeded if Reila had gone through with her blow. As for Reila...

Breathing harshly, her eyes were trained on the man's throat, unblinking and with such an intense focus that Seto felt a slight chill travel down his spine; this wasn't like Reila at all. He'd never once seen her harm anyone, never even seen her strike anyone until she'd slapped him in his lab. But Reila's face was so calm, so perfectly devoid of emotion that it was like he was looking at someone else. It was downright chilling, a deadly expression on a beautiful face.

Seeming to snap out of a trance, Reila gasped and sat back, her eyes wider than normal as she stared at her fist. Stumbling back quickly, her eyes darted around as if looking for something or someone. When her eyes locked with his, he could see confusion and fear in them. Swallowing harshly, he had to fight the sudden impulse to comfort her. The look of panic on her face was so intense that he almost forgot that they were fighting, that he was supposed to be angry with her. Breaking her gaze from his, she looked down at her hands in disbelief, breathing deeply to get her calm back.

"Well, I think that's enough for today." Mariko took a remote from her back pocket and turned off the music, and the sudden silence seemed to ratchet up the tenseness of the air around them. "Reila you did... Unbelievably well. But I don't want to work you any harder today, and you've surpassed my expectations. We'll pick up again later, alright?" Walking up to Reila slowly, she placed a hand on the younger girl's shoulder and gave a kind smile. "It's really scary the first time you move without thinking. That's why training is so repetitive – when your adrenaline kicks in, thoughts become unclear. It's easier to rely on muscle memory than it is fine tuned details and plans. Big muscle movements are best, and you picked these up so quickly... You really are a genius Reila."

Mariko's words seemed to trouble Reila more than anything, but she visibly shook off her feelings and nodded in response to Mariko's words, rising slowly from the floor. Reila held out a hand to the man still laying prone on the floor, and he accepted Reila's help in standing. "Sorry about that Stephan – You caught me off guard and I reacted without thinking."

"Don't apologize Ms. Sarota. That was absolutely brilliant." Grinning, Stephan put a hand onto Reila's shoulder and squeezed in a friendly way. "I only wish everyone had that kind of reaction time. Anyone who tries to harm you will think twice after seeing you move like that. But one pointer – don't hesitate. Follow through with all your actions, even in training."

Reila bit her lip, but nodded to show she understood. With one more friendly pat to show that there were no hard feelings, Stephan and Mariko walked towards the exit, leaving Reila and Seto alone. Taking a deep breath Reila shook her hands lightly before turning to face him. "Seto, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here to get Mokuba, but your maid swears he isn't here." Seto said, shaking off the last of his uneasiness from the scene he'd just witnessed. "He sent me a message earlier today that he would be here with you for the day."

[page break]

I scowled at Seto's words, still fighting to calm myself. "What? Mokuba sent a message to me saying that he wasn't going to be coming here today. He said he had a project that one of his tutors gave him and that he needed to work on it. He was going to the public library to get the book he needed and then home afterwards."

The look of confusion on Seto's face sent tension shooting throughout my body. Worry overcame my adrenaline, weighing heavily on me as a million scenarios ran through my head. The time between the Legendary Heroes arc and the Battle City arc was supposed to be quiet, calm with no major events. Had my presence here altered things? I didn't even wait to see if Seto was following before I was bolting for the door, worry spurring me on even though I was exhausted from my training session.

"Reila!" Seto followed, and since his legs are longer than mine he caught up quickly, pulling me to a stop. "You're exhausted. Go rest, I'll find him."

"I'm coming with you Seto." My bluntness seemed to irritate him, and I crossed my arms defiantly as I stared up at him. "Either I'm coming with you to make sure he's alright, or I'm going to follow you. Either way, I'm going to the library to see if anyone's seen him."

Seto's jaw set into a stubborn line, one I knew all too well. "You're just coming off a serious injury, and you stubbornly insisted on starting your self defense lessons today. If you push yourself any further you're risking injuring yourself all over again." Only Seto could take words meant to show concern and make them sound like he was scolding me.

Stepping closer, I had to crane my neck up to look him in the face as I poked at his chest with a finger. "You're not a doctor, and I taped my ankle up before I began training to prevent further strain. It doesn't hurt, which means that I'm fine – and even if it did hurt, that wouldn't stop me from making sure Mokuba is safe. You're not the only one here who cares about him Seto, and I would appreciate it if we spent less time arguing and more time finding him. So if you're finished trying to run my life, let's get going." Stepping around him, I made my way quickly to the front door, calling out for a driver.

Seto was right behind me, growling with irritation. "Fine, get hurt all over again. I warned you." Seeing a driver he didn't recognize, Seto waved him away. "If you insist on coming, make sure you don't slow me down Reila."

Smiling apologetically at Yuki, another of my family's drivers, I followed after Seto silently. The urge to retort back that he was the one who was slowing us down with his stubbornness was there, but I ignored it and climbed quickly into the car. As we settled back into the seats, his driver took off quickly for the library, and we rode along in silence. Staring out the window, it struck me that this was the first time Seto and I were alone together in over a month. Looking at his reflection in the window, I wasn't surprised to see that he was effectively ignoring me. I was actually thankful for that, because it gave me time to get the last of my confusion and fear from training under control.

 _Ydor? Are you there?_

 _ **Yes young one.**_ Ydor's presence was stronger than normal, as it had been since he'd stopped me from seriously harming Stephan during training. One moment I'd been running through the jabs and kicks Mariko had taught me, and the next... I can't even explain it. I was me, yet at the same time I felt like I hadn't been me when I brought Stephan down. It had happened so fast, and only Ydor's voice roaring in my mind had stopped me before it was too late.

 _What in the name of all things holy happened in there? It was... It felt like I was a completely different person._

 _ **I told you before, you have talents that you do not yet know you have.**_

 _Talents yes. But is potentially killing someone really a talent? I... I had no control over my body._

 _ **On the contrary, you had complete control over your body.**_ He must have picked up on my confusion, because I heard him sigh before he continued. _**You are an anomaly in the universe, young one. Your soul, your very essence is unique and unlike any other in this world. Have you never once entertained the idea that this is not your second life? That you have lived others before that you do not remember?**_

That thought made my spine stiffen, something that Seto notice from the corner of his eye. Leaning forward, he spoke quietly to the driver – well more like gave him a quiet order. The driver nodded and clicked on the radio, setting it lowly as background noise. Misreading my body language, he'd thought I was uncomfortable with the silence. In reality, I hadn't even noticed since I was speaking with Ydor, but I still nodded in thanks to Seto before returning my attention to my current conversation.

 _Are you implying that I have lived a life where I was trained in combat? And that training with Mariko kind of woke up this... What would it be considered, genetic memory? Spiritual memory?_

 _ **I am not implying anything. But with you, there is little to no limit of possibilities.**_

 _Ydor, I... I don't know if I want to have this. At first it was really cool, being able to pick up in things so quickly, but... To have the knowledge of how to harm someone like that, and to get so caught up in a fight that I don't even realize what I'm doing is a terrifying idea. If you hadn't stopped me, I could have seriously hurt Stephan, if not killed him with that blow._

 _ **Young one, you know the challenges you will face in the future. Do you think that the enemies of the future will have such consideration for your well being? They will not. You will be an obstacle in their way, one that they will do whatever it takes to remove. It is better for you to harm them, then they to harm you. Can you honestly expect to protect the man beside you and the younger one without knowing these skills, without honing them? Control will come in time, but if you back down from fear you will never master these skills.**_

I glanced at Seto's reflection again, finding him studying my reflection in the window. As our gazes locked, I realized that Ydor was right – to protect Seto and Mokuba, I would need these skills and more. As much as the thought of harming someone sickened me, and as much as I wanted to avoid confrontation if at all possible... There was a distinct possibility that I would need to physically defend those I cared about before this was all over.

… _You're right Ydor. I guess I never fully thought it out like that._

 _ **Sometimes humans do not think a situation or potential situation out fully. But it is those exact imperfections in logic that make you human.**_

Ydor's words rang in my head as he faded into the background of my awareness, and I realized that he was right. It is human to make mistakes, to not be perfect. And I had gotten mad at Seto for doing just that – for showing that he was human and made mistakes. The one thing that should have proven all over again that at times he can fumble and make mistakes is the very thing that I'd gotten so angry with him over.

I felt dirty, because thinking along those lines I felt like Gozaburo, expecting perfection from Seto. Even though I know he has his faults, that he sometimes makes mistakes, a part of me had secretly been hoping that he would overcome those faults on his own, that he wouldn't make the same mistakes. And instead of trying to help him, I'd lashed out at him with my fear, anger, and panic.

Putting my hand to my mouth, I felt my stomach heave as I realized that I'd done so much more than anger him when I slapped him. I knew from my memory of the show that Gozaburo had been a tyrant, and although they had never showed it outright the implication of abuse had been there. Mental, emotional, and most likely physical abuse had been something that Seto had endured while Gozaburo had been alive, and the blow I'd given him had probably brought it all out into the open again. He would never admit, but my actions could have possibly opened old wounds and made them bleed all over again.

I wanted to run and hide, because I'd been too busy thinking about my own emotions to take Seto's into account. His little brother had been digitized in front of him, he'd been trapped in his own creation, betrayed by his executive officers... His own emotions had probably been running high, and I hadn't been able to look past my own to see that he'd been hurting in a similar way as I had been.

Some friend I am.

[page break]

Seto's jaw tightened as he studied Reila's reflection in the window she was staring out of. She was rapidly blinking back tears, and the way she held her hand against her mouth indicated she was on the verge of being sick. He knew that he shouldn't have let her come, but her stubbornness rivaled his own. At least this way he could keep an eye on her and keep her from hurting herself all over again. Leaning forward, he snagged a bottle of water from the mini fridge in the back of the car and handed it to her wordlessly. She took it with a nod of thanks, turning away from him again as she sipped it slowly.

Sitting back against the seat Seto tried to keep his mind off of Reila. But being alone with her for the first time in so long, with the two of them not bickering or arguing was making it harder to remember why he was still so angry with her in the first place. Of course he knew why, he hadn't forgotten at all – but seeing her act vulnerable for even just a moment weakened that anger. Truth be told he missed her companionship. Her sharp mind was a welcome relief from having to deal with idiots all day, and he could discuss things with her that he couldn't with Mokuba. She had a fiery spirit within her that allowed her to stand her ground against men twice her age and with twice her life experience. Mokuba could be just as ruthless as Seto could, but Reila was more on par with Seto when it came to taking down an enemy, to outmaneuvering an opponent and coming out on top in the end.

In hindsight, when he had programmed Sabine he had forgotten exactly how ruthless Reila could be. But seeing her sparring in the gym had brought what he'd learned about her rushing forward. Gone was the innocent girl he had known in the orphanage, and in her place was a young woman who wore a mask so well that you didn't see her wrath coming until it was too late. When creating Sabine, he'd modeled her not after the real Reila, but had created a duplicate of the public image she painstakingly maintained. He supposed that could have contributed to her anger, but it still didn't excuse her. Once Mokuba was safe, maybe he would bring up the subject again... And hopefully this time it wouldn't lead to another fight. Maybe he could approach it in a different way, because even he was growing tired of the continual fighting.

As the car came to a stop he turned to tell Reila to wait in the car, but she had the door open and was getting out before the car had completely stopped. Cursing softly under his breath, Seto followed behind her, easily catching up with her smaller steps. Seeing the determined look on her face, he figured if she wanted to overwork herself that it would be on her, not him in the end. Avoiding a fresh fight would make it easier to locate Mokuba anyhow.

Approaching the doors, they stopped short of entering as a woman exited the building, locking the doors tightly behind her. Spotting the two, the woman smiled pleasantly. "I'm sorry dears, but the library is closed for the night. We'll be open at seven in the morning if you need anything."

"Ma'am we're looking for his little brother. Have you seen a boy with long black hair, blue eyes, wearing an orange shirt and jeans, about this tall?" Reila spoke up before Seto snapped at the woman, and Seto only felt a minor surge of irritation. The woman looked thoughtful for a moment before her face brightened up.

"Oh yes! He did come by earlier. He said that the three of you were playing an intense game of hide-and-seek. He left a clue for you with me..." Digging into her purse she pulled out an envelope. "Ah here it is. Now, your names please?"

"Look lady, we don't have -" Seto started to reach for the envelope, but Reila took his wrist gently and gave him a subtle shake of her head before turning back to the woman.

"My name is Reila Sarota, and this is Seto Kaiba. His brother, Mokuba, gave you our names?"

"Yes he did dear. He was vary adamant that I only give this envelope to you two, and only if you both came here together. I don't know why it was so important to him, but he was very explicit on that fact." The woman handed the envelope to Reila with a wide smile. "Well now that my job is complete I really must head home. Give your brother my best!" And with that she walked down the steps towards the employee parking area.

Seto and Reila shared a look. "I could have handled that without your help." Seto said, still irritated that Reila had basically shushed him and took over the conversation.

"She thinks that we're playing a game – if you start snapping at her she might have thought it was something else and possibly involved the police. For all we know she might have taken your aggression as a sign that we were hunting him, not trying to find him. Better to play along with her beliefs than risk public exposure with you and I getting arrested or having the police involved if they don't have to be." With an exasperated look Reila handed him the envelope. "Honestly Seto, your company is having enough bad luck with publicity as it is. Better to keep things quiet as long as possible to protect you and your company than risk a media circus. And better for no one to know that Mokuba is out there alone somewhere. You've made a lot more enemies than I have."

Seto grudgingly admitted – to himself of course – that Reila might have a point. The shareholders of his company were already acting skittish, and if playing along with this "hide-and-seek" thing kept his enemies from knowing his brother was vulnerable, then so be it. Opening the envelope, addressed to both himself and Reila, he scanned the message his brother had written out.

" _Dear Seto and Reila,_

 _I've had enough of your fighting. Both of you need to put aside your differences and make up, because you're driving me and everyone around you crazy. Since the only time you two seem to get along is when you're worried about me, I'm hiding somewhere and the two of you will have to work to find me._

 _I know you're both going to be mad at me, especially you big brother. But Seto, you have a bad habit of holding onto your pride. Reila asked you twice to let her go home, calm down, and then she would discuss why she was so mad but you wouldn't let her. Well now you're going to have to talk to her, and if you can do it without fighting you'll find me that much quicker._

 _Reila, I'm surprised and hurt that you've been so stubborn. You shouldn't have lashed out at Seto like that, and you should have apologized right away. Acting like that in front of a bunch of people... That's not the Reila I know. You're always in control of your emotions, and always telling others to think logically, not emotionally. Well it's time you practice what you preach and that you work with Seto, because I want my family back the way it was._

 _If you two want to find me, you'll have to solve the riddle I wrote. Keep in mind I wrote it specifically to make you both work together. One of you will understand one part right away, and the other will solve the other part. But you have to have both parts to get the final answer!_

 _Seto – You have faced me before in a duel. As the first card my owner played, I defeated your Hitotsu-Mi Giant with a blast of fiery breath. You need the first five letters of the third word in my name for your part of the final answer. What are they?_

 _Reila – Once upon a time you told a story about your father. The last clear memory you have of him, you said, was the two of you planning to convert this room into a private library, where the two of you could play and read all day if you wanted to. What type of room was it?_

 _Combine Seto's answer with Reila's, and that's where I'll be – in the place where we all came together._

 _-Mokuba"_

Seto frowned as he scanned the letter a second time. Mokuba was hiding... To bring them together. If he wasn't so irritated he would actually think that was rather brilliant on Mokuba's part. Thrusting the letter at Reila, the two of them walked down the steps towards the car while she read it. Seto's mind was racing, trying to figure out the answer to his part of the riddle. He obviously meant a past duel, but which one? Seto had been in many duels, and in many duels he'd summoned the Hitotsu-Mi Giant first.It couldn't be his most recent duel with Pegasus, that didn't fit. Before that was...

"Hey little lady, why don't you ditch the suit and come hang with us?" Seto's concentration was broken as a rough voice approached, and Seto turned to glare at the man walking forward. He'd left two of his friends standing a little ways away, and the man who had spoken was sauntering up with a smug grin on his face. His shaggy black hair fell into his dark eyes, which were trained on Reila intently while completely ignoring Seto. The fact that this punk didn't recognize him was irritating, but the way he was leering at Reila was even more so. Reila for her part looked up once, briefly scanned the man, then returned her attention to the letter, silently dismissing him as not worth her time.

Seto felt his fist tighten as the man's gaze dipped lower to where Reila's tank top showed the smallest hint of cleavage – she really should have changed before she left the house. Her top was much tighter than she normally wore, and her shorts were shorter than anything she normally wore in public. The man's eyes moved slowly over Reila's body, and his grin widened as he lingered on parts of her body that would get him killed if he tried to touch.

The man wasn't dissuaded by Reila's silent treatment, and reached out with his hand to grab her shoulder. "Come on, don't give me the cold shoulder babe. Me and the boys can show you how to have some fun. What's your na-"

Seto didn't even realize that he'd moved until he had the man's wrist firmly in his grasp. For the first time the man turned his full attention to Seto, his eyes widening at the dark expression on Seto's face. As the color drained from the man's face, Reila's head turned to look over her shoulder, and when her gaze met Seto's she gave him a small smile and nodded, returning her attention again to the letter. That one tiny gesture told Seto a lot more than anyone else would see.

Reila still trusted him to protect her. So long as Seto was in control she felt safe enough to turn her attention away form a threat, even one as minor as this and allow Seto to handle it. That tiny show of trust went a long way to soothing Seto's anger, because the trust between them was still intact. The quick reaction to hearing Mokuba was possibly in danger showed him that he could still count on her, that he could still trust her with the one person who meant everything to him. And her willingly turning her back to this punk and allowing Seto to deal with him showed that her trust in him was still there as well.

Turning his attention to the idiot he still held, Seto squeezed down on the man's wrist until he saw a wince cross the paled face. "Get lost, we don't have time for you." Shoving the man roughly, he felt a sick thrill as the guy stumbled and massaged his wrist, scrambling back to his friends.

"Dude I told you she was out of your league. Don't you know who that is? That's friggin' Seto Kaiba. You're lucky he didn't rip your arm off for trying to touch his girl." The more intelligent of the three – and Seto used that term very lightly – glanced back as he spoke, but the three hurried on their way as they saw Seto step closer to Reila, a silent declaration that he was her protector right now and that they needed to leave. Now.

"Well I understand my part of the riddle... My father and I had plans to turn the den into a library where we could store all our books." Reila spoke up, handing the letter back and crossing her arms, tapping her fingers against her arm. "But Mokuba's right there's no way I would know your part. I'm assuming it's a Duel Monsters reference and I'm not that familiar with the names of the cards, not to mention that I've only seen you duel three times."

"I think I know what card he's referring to – Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress." Seto said, the pieces clicking together. Although why Mokuba would bring up his shameful defeat at Yugi's hands was beyond him. "So my part of the riddle is 'guard', and combined with your part..."

"'Guard' and 'den'.Guard-den... Garden!" Reila said, snapping her fingers with a smile. "And the 'place we came together' must be-"

"The orphanage." Seto finished, and Reila smiled brightly as she turned to the car. "Reila, why didn't you tell that punk off?" Seto's curiosity got the best of him, or maybe he wanted to hear what she had to say. He knew the answer, but hearing her say it would prove that he had been correct in reading her actions,

"Because I knew you would take care of it." She said simply, raising an eyebrow at him. "Are you implying that I was wrong?"

"Forget it. Let's go." Seto led the way to the car, content in her answer and knowing that he had accurately read her actions – she still trusted him with her well being, trusted him to protect her.

[page break]

Seto's question had honestly caught me off guard, but I didn't dwell on it too long. To be honest the guy hadn't even registered as a threat to me, just a minor annoyance. As the only female in my immediate family, I've had to put up with attempted gropes, pick up lines, and much more from many different men. Some older, some my age, and all involved with my family's business in some way. Tabloids have tried to hint at romantic relationships between me and so many people that I've honestly lost count of how many supposed "secret love affairs" I'm rumored to have had. The fact remained that I have never dated anyone in this lifetime, and I have never been romantically involved with anyone. It just doesn't register as a priority at all for me right now, and even then I'm not completely naive – a relationship for me would be tough. I'm mentally older than any candidates my age, and the ones who are on my maturity level are at least twice my age. Couple that with my very strict "no fraternization" policy that I had with the artists of my company and that meant that finding a partner was almost impossible, even if I wanted romance.

Besides, the thought of really falling in love with someone terrifies me.

Back in the car, Seto and I again sat in silence, but it was far less awkward this time. Maybe Mokuba had done the right thing, but I could honestly pull my hair out over how much worry he had caused me, and I'm sure Seto had to have been even more worried than I had been. Knowing that he was at the orphanage took a huge load off of my shoulders, because there he would be safe. I reached out and kept in contact with the caretakers, and made considerable donations to their organization, something that I knew Seto did as well. I personally looked at it as my way of saying thank you for taking care of me while I was with them, and to provide better chances that the children currently housed there could find good homes. Maybe Seto's donations were for the same reasons, maybe not. I didn't ask about them, as Mokuba had only mentioned it to me in passing and I didn't want to give the impression that I was prying. Through everything I have tried to respect Seto's privacy as much as possible, and in return he did the same for me.

"I could throttle him for this." Seto said, frowning as we got nearer to our former home. "What was he thinking, running off like that?"

I didn't respond to the rhetorical question, choosing instead to shrug my shoulders when Seto turned his gaze towards me. Mokuba was right we had been holding onto pride and anger for too long. I'm almost ashamed to say that I didn't even notice that it was making others uncomfortable, or that it was causing Mokuba this much stress. I love that little kid, much more than I ever thought I would. And knowing that I contributed to his stress and drove him to such drastic measures... I actually felt a little ashamed of myself. I'm almost forty years old mentally, and I had to be scolded by a twelve year old boy. So much for my thinking I was so mature.

When the driver pulled up to the entrance, I stepped out slowly, my eyes roaming over the building with a mixture of fondness and apprehension – this had been my home when I had no one. The women here had taken care of me, nursed me when I was sick, held my hand as I had mourned my mother. This where I had first realized where fate had brought me, where I had planned and schemed so many years ago to put myself in a position where I could protect two innocent boys. I wouldn't say that it felt like coming home, because I had never considered this my home. But the weight of so many memories was almost tangible, and I felt a shiver run down my spine as memories surged.

Stepping beside me, Seto stopped for just a moment too. Whatever he was thinking or feeling, he kept his emotions hidden inside. Instead he gazed stoically at the place where we had met, and in fact if I thought about it this was almost exactly where he had been standing the first time I set eyes on him. Glancing at me from the corner of his eye, he waited just a moment longer before making his way to the garden area.

Reaching a hand out, I lightly grabbed the sleeve of his jacket. "Seto the garden will be locked. Last year they had a problem with delinquents tearing up the plants, so I had a fence with a coded lock installed for them. We'll need to speak to Mrs. Enimoto to get the code."

Seto's brow furrowed. "Why would delinquents target their garden?" Changing direction the two of us headed to the community area, where Mrs. Enimoto would most likely be supervising the children as they played before bed.

"I wasn't able to find out – the police had almost no leads and none of my digging could turn anything up. Either way, when she told me about the problem I got the fencing installed immediately and paid to have the gardens restored with new plants." I shrugged as we reached the doors to the community room. "I couldn't stand the thought of someone damaging any part of this place."

Seto didn't reply, merely nodding before knocking sharply on the door. Hearing light footsteps, we waited as the door was opened by a small girl, who looked no older than six. Brushing her lanky black hair out of her eyes, she peered up at us curiously. "Who are you?"

Kneeling down I smiled gently. "My name is Reila, and this is Seto. We're looking for Mrs. Enimoto, is she here?"

Looking thoughtful the girl nodded. "Yeah, Mrs. E is in the play room... HEY MRS. E! THERE'S SOME PEOPLE HERE TO SEE YOU!"

I winced at the sudden shriek, having forgotten just how sharp a small child's voice can be. Mokuba's voice was already showing signs of deepening in the near future, and since I spent most of my time around adults and not children... I wouldn't say she made my ears bleed, but it was definitely uncomfortable.

As we waited the little girl looked up at Seto and I again. "Are you looking for a kid to adopt? If you are then I'm the best girl there is here – I'm good at reading and doing chores, and I'll be the bestest little girl ever I promise!"

I stood up quickly, turning my head quickly to look at Seto. Whatever expression I had on my face, made his lips quirk up in amusement, which I returned with a scowl. Why wasn't he saying anything?!

"Sweetie, we're not... Oh thank the gods." Mrs. Enimoto came into view, saving me from having to explain to a child that I wasn't married, not to mention even old enough to entertain the idea of adopting a child, or having a kid period. "Mrs. Enimoto, how are you?"

"Reila, my dear Reila." Stepping around the little girl Mrs. Enimoto pulled me into a tight hug, which I returned happily. Pulling back she spotted Seto, and her face brightened even more. "And Seto too! Oh I'm so happy to see you two together again. It brings back such memories."

Smiling as I watched Seto shake her hand warmly, I studied Mrs. Enimoto. Her black hair had more gray than I remembered, but she hadn't changed much more than that. She'd always been a sturdy, kind woman. She stood a little taller than me, and her big brown eyes were always full of kindness and warmth. After her husband had passed away in a train wreck, she'd taken over management of the orphanage, giving the children who stayed here all the affection she'd never been able to give children of her own.

"Now what brings you two here so late in the evening? I'm thrilled to see you both of course, but you both are so busy I'm hesitant to flatter myself that this is a social call."

The little girl, tired of being ignored, pulled on Mrs Enimoto's pants. "Mrs. E, you know these two?"

With a kind smile Mrs Enimoto smoothed the girl's hair out of her face. "Yes Penny, I know these two. They once stayed here with us, just like you are now. Reila's family came and found her, and Seto and his younger brother were adopted by a powerful man."

Seto stiffened lightly beside me, but didn't comment. I glanced his way to make sure he was alright, but he refused to meet my eyes. Deciding to cut to the chase before he lost his patience, I turned my attention back to our former caretaker. "Mrs. Enimoto, was Mokuba here earlier? He mentioned that he might stop by, but his cell phone died and we haven't been able to reach him."

"Yes, he was here earlier. He played with some of the children for a little, before asking to see the garden. But I'm afraid I haven't seen him since – I assumed that he left when I saw the car he came in drive away." Mrs. Enimoto tapped her chin in thought. "That was... About two hours ago?"

"Oh, we must have missed him then. I'm sure he made it home safely... Would we be able to see the garden, since we're here? Seto hasn't seen the improvements that you made to it, and I'd hate for him to not see them while we're here." Seto shot me a look that clearly said how stupid he thought my statement was, but I just motioned for him to go along with it.

"Oh of course dear! You know how to work the lock – the code is the same one that you programmed in. We haven't changed it, so feel free to have a look. I'd go with you, but I have to get these youngsters to bed." She grinned at Penny's immediate protest, and I shook my head with a smile, remembering all too well how many kids complained when it was time for bed.

After saying our goodbyes and promising to stop by soon – well, I promised at least – Seto and I hurried to the garden. Seto stood to the side while I entered the code, watching me intently.

"10250707? How did you come up with that code?" Seto asked, following me inside once I'd opened the gate.

I stopped in my tracks, turning a puzzled look to him. "You don't know? 10-25-07-07... October 25th, July 7th. Yours and Mokuba's birthdays."

[page break]

Seto stared down at Reila, unsure of how to react. She'd restored this garden after it had been destroyed, installed improved fences and a locking gate, and used his and his brother's birthdays for the code – all to protect the place that they'd met. The thought that she treasured this place, even slightly... It wasn't often that Reila showed her sentimental side. She had one, he'd seen it in the way she interacted with Mokuba, the way she treasured the figurines her father had collected for her, the books that her mother had passed down to her. Like himself, she kept her weaknesses and sentimentality carefully guarded, and only a few were privileged enough to see them show that side of themselves.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts, he followed Reila into the garden, scanning the area for Mokuba. He noted that there were improvements, and although the garden was changed the feeling was still the same – there was an almost tangible sense of joy and peace in the air, an escape from reality. Seto didn't have much use for gardens, didn't know the first thing about them. But just walking down the small path with Reila beside him brought back a flood of memories, of a time when he was carefree and more open with his emotions and self than he was now.

"You did well. It's nice in here." Seto said, knowing that the improvements were Reila's handiwork.

"I didn't do anything but sign the check, but thank you." Reila shrugged, pausing to scan in the foliage for any sign of Mokuba. "I don't know the first thing about gardening, plants, or landscaping. I just hired the best company I could find and set them loose."

Seto smirked, shaking his head lightly. "So finally something that you're not a genius at."

"I'm sure I could be very good at it, if I had the desire. But plant arrangements and the like aren't exactly something that I need to know." Reila returned his smirk with a small grin. "Besides I'm not a flowers type of girl. Flowers fade and die- not exactly the most romantic of images."

"So you're saying you wouldn't like someone sending you flowers?" Seto frowned as he tried to picture what woman wouldn't like flowers.

"I'd appreciate the gesture and be thankful for the thought, but they're not high on my wish list. I did have an artist give me a plant once... I killed it in just over two weeks. Unintentionally of course."

Seto had to bite back a laugh at the thought of Reila managing to kill a plant. "Point taken." Stopping in his tracks, he motioned for Reila to look, and a small sigh escaped her as they took in the scene before them.

Stretched out on one of the benches, Mokuba had his arms tucked under his head as he slept soundly. His backpack sat on the ground next to him, and a book lay on the dirt where he must have dropped it when he dozed off. The mere fact that he was able to fall asleep outside like this went a long way to showing how safe he felt here. Shaking his head, Seto stepped forward to wake Mokuba up, but Reila stopped him with a hand laid gently on his arm.

"Let him sleep – he probably hasn't gotten a good nights sleep in a while, if he's been worried about us." Stepping lightly, she picked up the book and scanned the title, showing it to him. _Peter Pan_ by J. M. Barrie. The irony wasn't lost on him, that Mokuba would be reading a book about running away while he ran away. As Reila tucked the book into the backpack and hoisted it onto her shoulder, Seto stooped down, gently picking up Mokuba. The fact that his little brother didn't wake when he was moved showed just how tired he was, and that worried Seto.

Following Reila, the two of them made their way to the car and got in, and Mokuba never once woke up. Placing the sleeping boy between himself and Reila, he frowned as he tried to decide where to go first – drop off Reila, or take Mokuba home and get him into bed.

Reila answered his dilemma without him needing to ask. "Seto, let's get Mokuba home and in bed. I can have Shuuichi pick me up from your house."

Nodding, he sat back in his seat as the car began moving, thankful that Mokuba hadn't been hurt or taken again. He'd be sure to tell Mokuba just how reckless this little stunt was, but for now it was alright.

[page break]

The drive to the Kaiba mansion was quiet, but as I didn't want to wake Mokuba I was alright with that. I was so relieved that Mokuba was safe, and having sped through so many emotions today I was drained. So much for a relaxing day off.

When we got to the mansion Seto disappeared upstairs to put Mokuba to bed. The sun had long since gone down, and glancing at the clock I sighed. Seto and I had spent a lot of time running around town, and I hadn't stopped to tell anyone where I was going. Then again, Mariko had overheard part of the conversation so maybe she had told someone. Still, I used the phone in the kitchen to call Shuuichi, asking him to come to pick me up in about an hour. While I was here, I might as well apologize to Seto and hopefully we could put this fight behind us.

It had been really eye opening, the way that we fell back into old habits the minute we had something else to focus on besides our fighting. I wasn't angry with Seto, I'd gotten over that fairly quickly. It was more that I was irritated with his continual haughtiness. I myself was just as guilty, but if it meant peace between us and peace of mind for Mokuba I was willing to swallow my pride and admit that I might have been out of line.

Well for hitting him at least. I'm not going to apologize for what I said, because someone has to keep his ego from inflating too much. Seto with an ego that's more inflated than normal is something I really hate dealing with.

As I got a glass of water, Seto joined me in the kitchen. "He's in bed." Crossing to the fridge, he opened it and frowned. Glancing over his shoulder, I tried to find what was wrong.

"Uh, Seto? It's a fridge – why are you frowning like that at a fridge full of food?" It didn't make any sense, unless someone had eaten something he had wanted.

"Fujikawa must have gone home before she cooked anything." Straightening up, he closed the door and pinched the bridge of his nose. "In all the confusion I didn't call to tell her to make something for when I got home."

Rolling my eyes, I pointed to the small dining table that sat in the corner. "Sit down, I'll make something." Opening the fridge I scanned the contents, trying to think of something quick and easy to make. Spotting a beef fillet already seasoned, I figured that would be easiest and took it out, turning on the oven and hunting for a rice cooker.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?" Seto asked warily, eyeing me with a doubtful look in his eyes.

I snorted as I measured out the rice, taking the pot to the sink to rinse it. "More than you do. When my mother started working I learned to cook to take some of the burden off her shoulders." I felt a bittersweet smile form on my lips. "I didn't want her to have to come home and cook dinner after being at work all day. So I learned to make simple meals to help out. I'm no gourmet but I can make something edible and filling."

Seto didn't respond, but I could see him studying me intently from the corner of my eye. "You don't talk about your mother often."

Draining the rice and putting in fresh water, I busied myself getting the rice going before responding to his quiet comment. "I try to honor her memory, and I will always love her." I couldn't tell him the truth about why I spoke so little of my mother. One day I would deal with that problem myself, but now was not the time. "Besides, I'm not the only one. You and Mokuba almost never talk about your parents."

"True." Seto didn't pry, and I didn't pry either. If they wanted to talk to me about it they would, and if they didn't then I wouldn't force them.

We both lapsed into silence, broken only by my bustling around the kitchen. Seto's gaze followed my movements, and for the first time in a while I didn't find his penetrating gaze irritating. It felt like old times, with him silently watching me, studying me. Whatever he saw he kept to himself, and so long as he wasn't being overly critical I tolerated it.

Popping the beef into the oven, I leaned against the counter, facing him. "Look Seto, this arguing between us..." I took a deep breath as I fought to find the right words.

"Hold on." Seto said, standing and disappearing from the room. Frowning I felt a spark of irritation that he'd walked away right when I was getting ready to apologize. To keep busy I wiped down the counters, opening the fridge again and spotting some asparagus. Hoping that Mrs. Fujikawa hadn't had plans for it, I rinsed it off and had just found the cutting board and knives when Seto walked back into the room, holding a small box in his hand. Once he was standing next to me, he plopped the box next to the cutting board and went back to the table, leaving me puzzled.

Setting the vegetables aside, I rose an eyebrow at him, but he remained silent. Wiping off my hands I opened the top, peering inside. A giggle escaped me, and then that turned into a full fledged laugh as I spotted a pair of black heels nestled in white tissue paper.

He'd actually gotten me a new pair of shoes. He'd actually gotten a replacement pair of Sergio Rossi's shoes for me.

Wiping a tear from my cheek I turned to him, a wide smile on my face. "You actually got them for me. I'm touched."

"You said you would charge me for the ones that got ruined. I figured this would save everyone the hassle." The corners of his mouth were slightly quirked, showing that he found the entire thing amusing. To be honest, it really was funny. I'd been halfway joking when I said he owed me a new pair after mine got ruined at Duelist Kingdom. Halfway joking – shoes aren't something I normally joke about.

Setting them aside I shook my head, still bubbling with amusement. "How long have you had them?"

"They got here last night. Took me a while to convince the designer to remake them for you." Seto crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in the chair. "He's an irritating man."

"Oh gods I hope you didn't tell him I ruined the other ones – he'll never give me another pair for as long as I live." I said, suddenly horrified.

"Don't worry, I made sure he understood that you weren't at fault." Seto rolled his eyes, clearly not getting my obsession with shoes.

Turning back to the vegetables I started chopping, touched by the gesture. He had to have contacted Sergio sometime within the last month – even while we were fighting, he had remembered my little joke. I hadn't expected him to go above and beyond like this, even before our argument. Putting the asparagus into a pan to sauté, I turned again to face him. "Mokuba is right – this argument between us has to end."

"Are you admitting that you were wrong?" Seto studied my face, just as I was studying him. There was some emotion in his eyes that I couldn't read, but he wasn't challenging what I said.

"I'll apologize for slapping you – it was uncalled for, and I shouldn't have lost my temper like that. But I'm not going to apologize for what I said. I could have worded it better yes, but I asked you to let me calm down before we discussed it." Quickly stirring the vegetables I turned back to him. "You're a brilliant man Seto – but sometimes even the most brilliant overlook things. I was terrified when I heard you'd been trapped, and when I found out that you had willingly walked into a trap... I suppose I was using anger to cover up my fear." There, I had said it aloud. "You and Mokuba were all I had after I lost my parents. You two were the first ones to accept me as I was, not comment on what an odd child I was or that my eyes are creepy. I suppose I might lose my calm a little when you two are in danger."

"Your eyes aren't creepy, and you should stop letting stupid comments from idiots get to you about them." Seto said, frowning.

"Then why did you change them in that game?" The question was out before I could stop myself, because I had told myself repeatedly over the past month that I didn't care about it. It had hurt, yes, but I hated that my insecurity was coming out... Again.

"You think that I changed them deliberately?" Seto shook his head, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "Programming eye color is something I can do in my sleep, but a computer registers black as a one dimensional color. Every time I input her coding her eyes looked lifeless, flat. A digital artist was working on the problem, and I was going to input the code later – the gold eyes were only temporary."

I felt my face grow warmer as Seto explained, and I realized that I'd blown it entirely out of proportion. Really it was such a minor thing, but there was also her personality. She'd been very passive, ridiculously mild compared to me. Fighting back my blush I turned my eyes away from his. "And her personality? She seemed remarkably docile compared to me. Your aim was off if you were trying to pin down my personality."

"You're a difficult person to categorize. Sometimes it's easy to forget how shrewd you are, how dangerous you can be. You've very rarely shown that side around Mokuba or myself." Seto smirked, and I could have sworn I saw a hint of pride in his eyes. "You wear a mask so well that you make those around you forget that you can leave them bleeding with just a few words."

Just when I'd gotten my blush under control he had to go and praise me like that. Praise from Seto Kaiba was worth your weight in gold, and I turned back to the stove quickly to cover up the fact that his praise touched me. "Yes well... Again I might have overreacted on that part. I should have waited to hear your reasoning before jumping to conclusions."

"Reila you're the only person besides Mokuba that I can trust at my back. If you changed, in any way, you wouldn't be that person anymore. You say that I miss obvious things at times – you overthink everything. You spend too much time and energy worrying about how people perceive you." I didn't even hear him move, but the next thing I knew he was taking the spatula out of my hand and lightly turning me to face him. "Why don't we agree to leave it all behind us and just move on?"

As I craned my neck to look up at him, I realized that this was as close to an apology or admittance of guilt as I was going to get from him. But he wasn't gloating that I had been wrong, which was a good sign. And he was right, I did spend too much time worrying about how others viewed me. Mai had pointed that out earlier today as well. Although a part of me resented that he could read me so well, I was more grateful that he was willing to move on and leave everything in the past. Taking back the spatula I gave the asparagus a final toss before turning off the stove. "I can agree to that. But-" I pointed at him with the spatula, and the exasperated expression on his face made me smirk. "But I meant what I said before – sometimes you think less with your mind and more with your ego. As your friend I'm going to tell you when you're getting too full of yourself."

"Whatever." Seto said, put the corners of his mouth were upturned slightly to show that he wasn't angry. Grinning I shooed him back to the table as I pulled the beef from the oven and dished out a plate for him and for me. Plopping it in front of him, I sat on the opposite side with my own plate. The two of us ate quietly, occasionally asking one another questions about current work problems. After a month of barely talking, it was nice to have a moment where the two of us could use one another as a sounding board for ideas. His part of the conversation focused mainly on plans for his tournament, and I offered a few mundane suggestions. I didn't want to suggest too many changes, because if too much changed I couldn't predict how much things would change from the canon story.

When we finished eating I gathered the dishes, intent on cleaning the kitchen but Seto stopped me, taking the plates from my hands. "You're tired. Get home and get some sleep – you look like you're about to pass out."

He was right, I was exhausted. Sometime between the first bite of food and now the full day's events had caught up with me – even as I opened my mouth to protest a yawn escaped me. "I can't just leave the kitchen a mess like this, it's not fair to Mrs. Fujikawa."

"I'll take care of the clean up, you get home and sleep." Seto set the dishes down and practically marched me out of the kitchen, snagging my shoe box on our way out the door. I had half a mind to point out that he was ordering me around, but decided to let it slide. I was alright with him acting high and mighty once in a while, because that's part of what made him Seto. But too much and I would call him out on it, as I've done before.

Spotting Shuuichi outside, I made a beeline for the front door. Seto opened the door, handing the box to me before looking down at me with a slight frown of concern. "Stop pushing yourself so hard Reila. If you end up sick it'll be your own fault."

I rolled my eyes, waving a hand in the air. "You're one to talk Seto. I'll be fine – just make sure you get some sleep too. Mokuba says you've been up all hours of the night working on your new disc system. Maybe a night off would do you good, give you a chance to recharge and tackle it from a fresh point of view."

Seto made a non-committal sound, which I shook my head at. Saying good night, I walked to the car as Seto went back into the house, and for the first time since our fight began I felt more at peace, more like things were back to normal than I had in a long time. Maybe tonight I would finally get a decent night's sleep, and not be kept up from guilt and worry eating at me.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Hello lovelies! Can I just say that you all ROCK! I was showing someone how to find my story using the filters while browsing, and I discovered that Monachopsis has entered into the top 10 most followed Seto/OC stories. Words cannot describe how amazing that is, and it's all thanks to you guys!

For those who play PokemonGo, I have a small announcement: WHOEVER TOOK MY SCREENNAME I AM VERY UPSET ABOUT THIS. A PoGo player took my screen name and I almost cried over it, so if you know who it is please express my displeasure to them.

Also quick little note, my dad got approval from his company to become a fully remote employee, so I get to go home to Arizona! That means that I can leave the big city and go back to school :3 The actual move won't happen until after the first of the year most likely, so don't fret I'll still be cranking out chapters regularly. As stated before, I'm not putting a time limit on myself any longer, as I found that actually hurt my writing more than anything. But I'm aiming for hopefully three chapters a month, give or take.

Again thank you to everyone who has liked and followed the story thus far, I hope that you continue to enjoy it! And shout outs to **animagirl** , **Drachegirl14** , **F4nn1** , **Zap97** , **Rosezelene Ersa** , and **Counting Sinful Stars** for reviewing, I love hearing feedback from people! As always if you have any questions, comments, concerns, please feel free to drop me a message and I will respond as quickly as I can. However spoilers aren't something I give out regularly. Now onto the next chapter!

 _The song featured within this chapter is called "Biter's Block" by Gym Class Heroes. I claim no ownership over this song and all rights belong to writers and performers, the members of Gym Class Heroes_

 **Disclaimer: I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

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Chapter 15

Now that the fight between Seto and I was over, a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. For the first time in over a month I got a good night's sleep, and although I'm still not a fan of mornings I was able to be a little more enthusiastic with some deep restful sleep. With my personal life more stable, I felt more confident in focusing on work until the Battle City tournament started. First thing I needed to do was get with Ydor and learn how to wield his magic, somehow. If he could defeat a Millennium Item, then it was definitely something that I needed to learn and quick to protect not only Seto and Mokuba, but Mai as well. If I could work up the sympathy, I might also try and protect Odion – but I don't know him personally, and if I remembered correctly he willingly chose to follow Marik, even after he had started going coo coo for cocoa puffs. Although I can't remember his real motivation for staying by Marik's side, the fact is that he made his proverbial bed and he'll have to deal with the consequences. I'm not out to save everyone, just those that I care for.

I suppose that makes me a little heartless, but I'm already trying to juggle protecting so many people that adding one more into the mix might endanger everyone else. So sorry Odion, but you're on your own.

For now I knew that the Battle City tournament was a ways off. Which was good news, because it gave me some breathing room and time to plan. I had to somehow get myself invited to the finals as a guest, ideally not as a duelist. Mokuba had tried to teach me how to play, but it was something that refused to stick in my brain. Maybe it was the fact that mentally I'm almost forty, or maybe it was that I had never had the desire to play the game before. Either way, me as a duelist was not going to be happening, at least not in this lifetime. That left me with one of two options; get myself invited as a special guest, or stow away... On a blimp.

I can't believe I have to plot how to get _on_ a blimp. How in the name of all things holy am I going to keep a straight face this time around? Because I know that song is going to be running through my head the entire time. Thanks LittleKuriboh, sometimes memories of his abridged sreies make life here a little difficult.

 _ **I have seen your memories of the one you know as LittleKuriboh... Tell me, is that what passes for entertainment in this era? Making fun of a story that someone tells?**_

I sighed as I tried to think of a way to explain the appeal to Ydor. "My mother – Cynthia, my mother in my first life that is – used to have a saying. 'If you can't poke fun at something you love, it's not real love'. By being able to laugh at the major plot holes and the sometimes overly used clichés, it shows that you really do enjoy it and love the show, person, or thing which you're poking fun at. It's not meant to be cruel or degrading, although at times it can come across that way."

 _ **And now that you have lived in this world? Do you think that the one who told the story originally was accurate in his portrayal?**_

"I think it's less of a matter of accuracy and more of a matter of censorship. The company who obtained the rights to translate the show and play it in America edited out a lot of things, making it that much easier to poke fun at characters and plot points. Add onto that the fact that the original story, the manga, has some pretty big differences from the anime and you get even more material for possible comedic gold."

 _ **What kind of differences do you mean? Have you noticed them in this world?**_

"Well for one, in the manga Mokuba was a lot more... What's the word I'm looking for... Chilling. He actually actively participated in trying to off Yugi if I remember correctly. And Seto, he was even more arrogant and cold in the beginning of the manga. Then there's the spirit within the Millennium Puzzle – he actually used games as a way to punish people for crimes or wrong doing. He was a lot more brutal than the spirit who was portrayed in the show."

 _ **He was portrayed as more brutal, and yet you are willing to help him and his host by ensuring that they fulfill their destiny?**_

Ydor's tone made me frown. "Well from what I can tell, we're following the story line from the anime, not the manga. After all the whole virtual reality episode wasn't in the manga, that was an anime only thing... I think." I rubbed my forehead as I tried to remember. "So if that's the case, then we're on the right path. And ultimately Yugi and the spirit have to succeed, or the world will basically end – I think. There was something about a being named Zork but I'm fuzzy on the details."

 _ **If you believe it is the best course little one then I shall offer my assistance. But in order to do so, we must begin your training.**_

"Alright, I've got some time to spare. Can we do it in here?" I glanced around my room, wondering if that really was a good idea. Learning how to wield magic might result in a few mishaps, and I didn't feel like having to try to explain to my uncle why I needed to have furniture replaced, never mind the fact that I didn't want the figurines my father had collected for me destroyed.

 _ **'Here' is a vague term. I assume that you mean within your sleeping chambers. Physically yes, but mentally you will need to come to me.**_

I blinked as I tried to process that little piece of information. "Uh, and how exactly do I do that?"

 _ **You will need to enter your innermost thoughts, the place where your memories are locked away and where your consciousness and subconsciousness meet. I will walk you through the steps – for you it should be simple. Breaking through the first time to speak with you opened the door, so now you need only locate it and enter.**_

I pondered for a moment, sitting up fully in bed and scooting back to rest against the headboard. On a whim I grabbed a pillow, placing it between my back and the hard wood before settling back again. "So you're talking like some form of meditation, right? And finding the door... Yugi and the spirit have two separate yet connected realms inside his body. Is that similar?"

 _ **In it's simplest form it is similar, however the differences are more vast. You shall see what I mean when you arrive. I will walk you through the steps this time, but as we progress with your training I will omit more and more advice until you can arrive here on your own.**_

"I understand." Settling in and getting comfortable, I listened to Ydor's voice as he lead me through what I needed to do. Bring forth a peaceful picture, concentrate on the feeling of peace and serenity... Blank my thoughts, do not let anything distract me... Focus on his voice, the tone and lilting quality like the waves of an ocean...

* * *

Yugi's mind may be two separate rooms, but mine is a completely different set up. I didn't find a door in teh strictest sense of the term – I more or less fell from the freaking sky and straight into water. Sputtering and running to the sand, I brushed my now soaking hair out of my face and looked around, puzzled. I've been to the ocean many times, but why the ocean was present in the deepest parts of my mind made no sense. Not to mention the giant marble temple that sat on the beach to my right, tall and grand with an architectural style I didn't recognize. Something about the temple seemed familiar though, and I hesitantly stepped stepped closer, not knowing what to expect.

"Ydor? Where are you?"

" _Here, young one_." Hearing Ydor's voice in my head is one thing, but hearing it while inside my own mind is another. It seemed more... Tangible, like I could feel the weight of his knowledge in the air. Turning my head, my jaw dropped as I watched the large form exiting the water, laying on the sand beside me.

"You're a freaking dragon? You never thought that was an important detail before now?" I blinked in the dazzling sunlight as I studied his hulking form. It's not that he was overweight or anything, but he was **huge**. Sapphire scales glittered in the warm sun, with lighter blue scales along his belly. With large black claws and a mouth that could snap me up without any hesitation, I'm not ashamed to say that this was probably one of the more terrifying parts of my life. I actually took a half step back as Ydor lowered his head, resting his chin on the ground to study me with his large red eyes. Craning my neck, I took in the metal armor that he wore along his body, and also noticed the lack of wings. "So uh, you don't fly?"

" _I belong in the sea, not the sky. And yes young one, I am a dragon. I suppose I could have mentioned it before hand, but your expression was worth the deception._ " Seeing the flash of giant fangs as he spoke made me uneasy, something that he seemed to notice. " _Young one I never have nor will I ever mean you harm. You are safe with me – my fangs and claws are used to destroy those who would seek to enter this domain, and my armor is meant to protect me so that I may better protect you._ "

"Sorry Ydor. I don't mean offense, I'm just... This is a lot to take in, you know? It was one thing to know that I had someone else in my mind, another entirely to find out that presence is a dragon." Honestly now that the initial shock was over, something about his shape and presence was familiar, comforting even. But I couldn't place my finger on why he felt familiar – maybe it was just from him being inside me, or maybe it was something more.

" _No offense was taken young one. I knew that my physical appearance might be a shock, but it is difficult to prepare someone for being in the presence of a dragon._ " His tail curled around his body, as though he was trying to make himself appear smaller. " _But we must begin quickly. Since there is no way of telling when the one you call Seto will announce his tournament, time is of the essence. Are you ready to begin?_ "

"As ready as I'll ever be, I think." I said, scratching my head. "I mean I don't even know what exactly I'm getting into, so how can I judge?"

" _As with physical combat, you should find that this is simple. Your soul is that of a conduit, so the only obstacles you may face will be your own mind. The concept of magic is not new to you, but the idea of wielding it is. You have always striven to remain out of the center of attention, have gone to great lengths to ensure that you are not directly involved with events that will unfold – this may hamper you. By wielding magic you will make yourself a target, but without the knowledge you will remain powerless._ "

That thought troubled me. Ydor was right, I had done a lot to make sure that no one's attention was focused on me. I didn't want to be the main character in this story, didn't want to be in the thick of things. In order for this world's story to continue as it should, I had to keep my presence and influence to a minimum. But protecting Seto, Mokuba, and Mai meant that I would have to wade into the thick of things, to give people reason to speculate about me. Stopping Marik might well lead to him targeting me instead of the others, because actively cutting his power short would most likely cause him to want revenge.

" _Be at peace young one, I will not cast you into a battle empty handed. So long as I am here, I will do all in my power to protect you. You did not truly believe that you would be able to spend your life in the shadows did you?_ "

"I... I guess I had hoped I could. I thought if I kept a low profile that no one would question me or dig too deeply into why I'm able to do what I can, how I know what I know." I bit my lip as I thought back on all the things I'd done to ensure that no one could trace anything back to me. "I mean, if I'm going to be throwing out such obvious signs that I'm more than I appear, it's bound to cause people to question everything, including..." I swallowed hard as an ugly thought reared it's head. "Including my relationships with them. If they somehow discover that I've been keeping secrets, they'll lose all trust in me."

I jumped as I heard a loud crash, like a giant set of doors being slammed shut. Looking around quickly, I didn't see anything and turned a questioning look to Ydor.

" _This is a reality which you must face, young one. You have spent too long bottling up your negative emotions – you must begin to face them or else you risk them destroying you._ " Lifting his head, he gestured to the glittering temple on the beach. " _Housed within those walls are not only your memories from this life and the one before, but also every inner turmoil that you have refused to deal with. I tell you this as one who has seen much more than you can comprehend – you must face your inner demons before they break free. You must be the one chose how you battle them, and not allow them to overrun you._ "

Looking towards the temple again, I felt a chill go down my spine. I couldn't handle dealing with those emotions, not now. Maybe in the future, but for now... "Not today." Ignoring a sound of irritation from Ydor, I shook off the sense of foreboding and threw back my shoulders. "For now, we're supposed to be teaching me about magic."

" _As you wish – but heed my warning about not facing the negative energy you house within you._ " Ydor stood slowly, eyeing me for a moment before lowering his head, gently nudging me to the very edge of the water.

" _As I said, I am a dragon who is most at home in the water. As such, my magic strongly resembles that of the ocean – it rises and swells, can be both life giving or destructive. The magic of others will feel different, for each wielder bleeds either emotions or intent into their magic. This is something that is done unknowingly by a wielder, especially one who is untrained. Tell me, what did you feel from the magic that the one called Pegasus wielded?_ "

Studying the gentle waves that ran over my feet, I thought back to that moment when I felt Pegasus's magic like a physical presence. "It was... It was like a heavy fog, but one that was full of bitterness and regret. I could sense loss, grief, and an iron will within it. It felt thick and heavy, like it was trying to drag me into it."

" _That is more or less what one who wields that abomination will always bleed into their magic. The Egyptians were a young race when they created them, and they knew not what it was they were unleashing. The Items will always have a negative aspect to them, a darkness that only the strongest of hearts can overcome and contain._ "

"So for someone like Yugi, who is pretty much the picture of innocence, he can easily overcome it right?" I asked, thinking back. I don't remember Yugi every really doing anything bad – but the pharaoh would eventually give in to a darker side of him, and Yugi would pay the price.

" _He is stronger than most, yes. But you already know what difficulties he and the spirit he houses will face. Back to the matter at hand, my magic is purer than that of Pegasus. Magic is housed within the soul, and although you house me within your mind my soul is separate from yours. You cannot access my power without my consent, nor can I use you to channel my magic without your consent. For your first lesson, I will focus only on getting you accustomed to the feel of my magic, so that you know what to expect when you wield it._ "

"Umm yeah, about that Ydor..." I shifted uncomfortably. "Every time I've been around magic, it affects me physically. I can't breathe, and I can feel the pressure of the magic weighing down on me. What will yours do to me?"

" _The magic you have previously encountered are foreign to you, and you have been unaccustomed to the feelings. That is why we must get you adjusted to the feeling of my magic – once you have become used to the feel of it, it should not hinder you as others will. And by becoming more accustomed to being around magic, the physical affects you feel will diminish. You will always be able to sense magic, to decipher the emotions that have been transferred into it, however you should no longer experience discomfort from it._ "

"Oh, that's actually kind of reassuring. Alright, well let's get this show on the road." I watched as Ydor walked slowly into the waves, stopping just as the water reached his shoulders. Turning to face me, he let out a low, melodic call. I felt and heard the sound washing over me, and he had been right. The feeling was like warm, calm water engulfing me, but I did have a moment of panic before I reminded myself that it wasn't really water. Keeping my eyes opened and focused on Ydor's red eyes, he repeated the noise three times, each time giving me a moment to adjust to the feeling before doing it again. It was remarkably soothing, almost uplifting in a sense.

"That wasn't bad at all. The way you made it sound, I thought I was going to be drowning or something." I said, grinning.

" _As I said, my magic mimics the ocean – either calming and soothing, or forceful and destructive. I am purposely keeping my magic limited to ensure that you do not feel the full force of it. It is too soon for you to contend with power of that magnitude. But you are doing well – you fought your panic and instead embraced the feeling. This is good, for fighting against my magic will only lead to your being harmed._ "

"Alright. What's next?" I asked, eager to try something new. This part of me, this whole being a conduit thing was actually kind of cool. Sure I may not be a badass on my own, but with a freaking powerful dragon housed inside of me who knew what I was capable of?

" _Now we must take a break. We have done very good work for the first day – your instincts are sound. Do not attempt to sway my mind with a pout._ " The dryness in his tone and the exasperated look on his face made me crack a grin. " _You have already been here far longer than you realize, and staying within your own mind for too long is dangerous. We must move quickly, but I will not risk you being harmed in our haste. We shall continue tomorrow, but for now I believe that you have more scheming and plotting to do_."

"You say 'scheming' and 'plotting' as though they are dirty words." I said, watching Ydor exit the water and studying his metal armor more closely. "I never claimed to be a saint."

" _You surely never have done that._ " Ydor said, a chuckle in his voice. " _Now, listen carefully and I will guide you back to your conscious mind..._ "

* * *

When I opened my eyes, I cringed as I felt how sore my back was – since I'm almost always on the go, sitting for long periods of time bothers me more than it would other people. Wincing as I straightened and stretched my back, I jumped as my cell phone rang loudly. Sighing to myself and wondering why I hadn't put it on silent, I picked it up and answered without looking at the caller ID.

"Reila, where the hell have you been? I've been trying to reach you for over an hour." Jillian sounded irritated, and I frowned into the phone before glancing at the clock. I blinked in surprise as I saw that I'd been with Ydor for two hours. Running a hand over my face I sighed and wondered how I would explain this one – I've never slept in so long before.

"Sorry Jillian, I was busy... What's wrong?"

"What's wrong is that Seto Kaiba almost fried my entire network!" I held the phone away from my ear as she began ranting and swearing loudly, giving her time to cool down. Once she'd gotten the worst of it out of her system, she began to explain. "I couldn't find anything about Noah or Gozaburo performing a shady experiment on his son anywhere, so I tried to tap into the Kaiba Corp. database and some program named Aeron almost fried my babies!"

I groaned as she finished explaining. "Jillian I told you **not** to mess with his corporate database! Aeron is part of a new two-part security program that he just developed, and it's supposed to be the end all be all of computer security! Dammit if he managed to trace it back to you and link you with me-"

"I know, but curiosity got the better of me. Besides you were paying me to do a job and I don't quit unless absolutely necessary." Jillian sighed and I heard her fingers clacking hurriedly on a keyboard. "I think I've managed to throw him off my scent for now, but that was a little too close for comfort. Sorry, either this Noah kid doesn't exist anymore or he is well and truly off-grid. If he's actually inside the program himself it would be theoretically possible to stay off the radar, even for this long. I'll send your payments back since I couldn't finish the job."

"No, keep the money. You were doing what I asked, sort of. Consider it hazard pay for your computers almost being destroyed." I ran a hand through my hair, while my mind scrambled to formulate a plan. If Jillian couldn't find Noah, maybe he really didn't exist in this world and we would be able to avoid that whole catastrophe.

"I appreciate that. But seriously, Kaiba's program is nothing to mess with. That bugger wasn't going to give up anytime soon and you would not believe what I had to go through to get him away from my network."

"I believe it – the program is designed to seek and destroy." Standing and making my way to my closet, I began picking out clothes for the day. "But you're network is safe?"

"For now. If I stay out of the database entirely he should leave me be." Jillian sighed before the clicking of keys resumed. "There was another reason I called – our mole finally made a move. I'm forwarding the information to you now. Does the name Manabu Tanaka mean anything to you?"

I frowned into the phone as I pulled a white blouse out and laid it on a chair. "Manabu? He's the current head of our A&R Department. He's been with the company for at least twenty years now. When he first signed onto the company as an artist he had moderate success, then shifted to management after his record sales began dropping. He did have a few number one hits but he's considered a 'one-hit-wonder' as an artist."

Manabu had also been in love with my mother, and had been just as offended as my grandfather had when my mother eloped with my father. Something that I was sure he was trying to take out on me, given that he tried to undermine me or block me every chance that he got. I hadn't brought it to my uncle's attention because I didn't want it to appear that I needed my uncle to fight my battles for me. Uncle Sota would put him in his place, but bothering him with something so petty seemed a waste. Especially when Manabu was someone that I could maneuver around easily.

"I can't link him directly with the mole, but I'm almost certain that he's the mastermind. For now it seems that someone named Tatsuo Ichibane is the one actively feeding the files to Royalty Records. More specifically, feeding them directly to Kaiji Watanabe."

I gave myself a moment to be sure that I'd heard her correctly before I laughed triumphantly. Not only had that snake tried to intimidate me and threaten me, but now he would ultimately be the downfall of his family. It was just too perfect. "Jillian, you've made my day. Scratch that, you've made my entire week. Kaiji Watanabe threatened me about six months ago saying that Sarota wouldn't be on top much longer, and now I can not only take out our mole but him as well. No one threatens or steals from my family and gets away without me unleashing hell upon them."

"Damn, every time I think I've seen it all you go and surprise me. You're seriously going to take down an entire company and the family that runs it, aren't you?" Jillian sounded slightly shocked, but mostly in awe of how far I was willing to take this.

Then again, she hadn't known me back when I took down Jones Enterprises in America.

"I don't tolerate thieves, and I especially don't tolerate those who steal from me, my family, or my company. If someone comes after us, I will end them in a spectacular fashion not only to remind them they messed with the wrong people, but also as a warning to anyone else who thinks they should try – don't mess with Sarota."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side." Jillian chuckled, and I heard her sigh into the phone. "So how do you plan on revealing the deception?"

"Something big and public. Particularly something that they're hosting..." I blew a sharp breathe out, blowing an errant curl out of my face. "I think that they're holding a grand opening of a new night club that construction was just finished on... If I could somehow get into that and broadcast the data that you've compiled, it would be a major blow. Most of their investors will be there for the grand opening, as well as some of their top artists. Once the artists see that they're in business with thieves, they'll defect to Sarota or other recording agencies."

"Want me to put together a video using the data? I'll give you a discount."

I laughed at Jillian's suggestion. "Actually, that would be wonderful. I already have a song in mind that I'll be roping Hojo into performing with me, so once recording is done on that I'll send it to you so you can sync the video and audio."

"You've already had a song in mind? What's it called?" Jillian asked half heartedly, already typing away. Jillian appreciated music, but since I tended to write and produce more pop/hip-hop based songs she wasn't a huge fan of my work. She was a metal head to the end, and although I have a love for rock music it's not something that I excel at writing or performing.

"Let's just say one of the lines is this: _Congratulations on your new purchase, I heard you bought a crib on Biter's Block downtown Plagiarism's Paradise_ '."

Jillian laughed loudly, and I could picture the grin on her face. "That is too perfect Reila. I'll let you know when I've got the video done. When is this grand opening?"

"Two weeks. I should be able to have the audio to you the day after tomorrow." I said, checking the desk calendar where I kept my schedule written down, as well as my uncle's and Hojo's. "And I'll let you know the exact time of the opening, as well as when to cue the music."

"I love it when you talk subterfuge to me." With one last shared laugh we hung up, and I got dressed as I thought long and hard. In order for this little show to work, I needed to get access to the party. Asking for an invitation would be a huge mistake, as the Watanbes could spin it anyway that they chose by including me on the guest list. No, I needed someone on the inside who could get me and Hojo in through a side entrance or something. It would be that much better if we came unannounced, and if we had someone waiting to serve them the papers for the lawsuit that had already been drafted by our corporate lawyers, even better. Not only would I be broadcasting in front of their investors and artists that they were being sued for copyright infringement and attempted corporate sabotage, I would be yanking the carpet right out from beneath their feet. In sports terms, I'm blind-sighting them... And I don't even care what happens to them after the dust settles.

But the real snag in my plan was finding someone on their guest list willing to help me take them down. Sarota and Royalty tended to have almost no shared partners or acquaintances, and the only companies we both actively worked with were electronics manufacturers or advertising agencies. I couldn't think of anyone that we both knew who would be willing to work with me against the Watanabe family.

Pacing as I slipped into a pair of flats – I cannot wait until this ankle is one hundred percent healed and I can go back to wearing my stilettos – I wracked my brain, discarding idea after idea before it finally dawned on me.

Seto.

Seto had gone to school with Arisu Watanabe, and she knew that Seto and I knew one another. Our recent fight had managed to make it into tabloids, so I had no doubt that Royalty Records knew about it. But they didn't know that we had reconciled, and that could work in my favor. Given that my friendship with Seto was so public, it would be counted as a victory for Royalty Records if they could befriend Seto and "steal" him away from me.

And I know how much Seto enjoys seeing someone fall hard, so I was fairly confident that I could get him to help.

Glancing at the clock I figured that Seto shouldn't be too busy at this time of day. Calling down to Shuuichi, I asked him to ready the car before I called Hojo, explaining that I would be gone for about an hour and that when I got back we needed to start recording another song. Once he figured out what song, his dark chuckle mirrored my own.

Plotting the downfall of an enemy can be such fun.

* * *

Seto growled under his breath as his phone rang, breaking his concentration. He was working on the programming for the revised Duel Disc system, and had ordered everyone to ensure that he was not disturbed for at least another hour. This project was grueling enough, but with constant interruptions it was taking even longer than he had originally anticipated.

Snatching up the phone he didn't even bother looking at what extension was calling. "I told you no interruptions."

"Well you didn't tell _me_ that Seto." Reila's voice on the phone confused him, as he knew that his secretary wouldn't have put any calls through unless they were from Mokuba. "I need to talk to you about something and your security guy won't let me in."

"Put him on." Once the phone had been handed back to the security officer, Seto barely held back a sigh of irritation. "Reila Sarota has complete access to this office. In the future if you stop her, irritate her, or in anyway offend her you are fired." He didn't even wait to hear the man's response before he slammed the phone into the cradle, slightly taken aback by what he'd just done. He'd given Reila complete, unrestricted access to his office without a second thought, and although he trusted her not to take advantage of it the mere fact that he had given that order was mildly surprising to himself. The only person previously who had complete access was Mokuba. Maybe it was a show of faith after their fight, but he wouldn't let it bother him right now. Saving his progress on his laptop, he had just barely closed the screen when Reila walked in the door, making her way to his side of the desk and leaning against it, facing towards the windows and studying the view that he rarely looked at.

"I need your help." Reila skipped over the usual pleasantries and cut straight to the chase, her eyes focused not on him but on the Domino City skyline.

Seto raised an eyebrow, not only at her statement but also at the no-nonsense way she was acting. If he didn't know better, he would think she was mad - but instead she seemed anxious, ready to spring into action. Turning his chair towards her, he sat back and studied her face. "What do you need?"

"I need you to get an invitation to the grand opening of the Watanabe's new night club. I need someone I can trust on the inside." Reila finally turned her head to look at him and it was then he saw it, the fire in her eyes. She was excited, anticipation clearly visible in her onyx eyes.

"And why would you need to be there?" Crossing his arms over his chest, Seto wondered what new scheme was hatching beneath those wild red curls. There were very few things that could bring this kind of excitement into Reila's life, and her reasoning for asking him to tolerate Arisu's company for any length of time needed to be good. The girl had been a pain when he had been in school with her, and he'd done his best to avoid being around her since his graduation. Rumors about the friendship between Kaiba Corp. and Sarota Entertainment helped keep the little leech at bay, but only barely.

"Someone sprung my trap - an employee of my company is feeding copyrighted materials to Kaiji Watanabe. I'm already getting the legal process underway to sue both the employee and Royalty Records for every penny that they collectively have. But before that, I want to make their downfall as public and crippling as possible." Her grin turned sharper, more dangerous as though she was savoring this moment. "What better way to cripple them than broadcasting that they're about to be annihilated in front of their artists and investors?"

Seto was momentarily taken aback not by the plan itself, which was brilliant, but by the amount of joy Reila was taking from this. He knew that she, like himself, couldn't tolerate thieves. It might be something about their shared background as orphans, although Seto suspected his was more from his supposed family members taking the inheritance that had been rightfully his and Mokuba's from their birth parents. But Reila had completely dropped the pleasant, unassuming mask that she wore in public – this was the real Reila, cold and lethal to enemies and one that relished the hunt. She was smart enough to paint this little incident in such a light that the general public would praise her for her ingenuity, would applaud her for refusing to be a victim. She would walk away from this spot free while the Watanabe family would be tarnished for life.

"You're asking a lot of me – Arisu will think that she's stealing my friendship away from you." Seto was cautious in offering his help, because he wanted to know what her plan was fully before he committed to anything. With work delayed on the disc hardware – again – it had to be a solid plan and not a waste of his time.

Reila nodded in agreement. "She will, but let her think that all she wants – our fight managed to make it into the tabloids and that works in my favor. If she thinks that we're still fighting she'll think that there's a chance for her to worm her way into your confidence. Royalty Records will take any chance they get to lure in powerful, well known friends and use them as shields for when something blows up in their face."

Seto smirked. "Now you're flattering my ego."

"As if your ego needs anymore flattering or inflating." Reila grinned in response before her face turned serious again. "I know the way they think, and they'll think that by gaining your friendship and support that they'll have won a victory against me and my uncle. I don't think there will be any major repercussions against you, especially if we're careful and you're not seen helping me."

"As if I care about that." Seto scoffed, sitting forward in his chair. "So you need me to fake interest in Royalty Records, get into this party – and you know how much I hate going to parties – and then what?"

"I know Hojiro Watanabe's style – he'll let everyone mingle, get a little alcohol in them, and then try to wow them with a big speech. Right before his speech, Hojo and I are going to crash their party. I already have a song in the works, and an associate of mine is putting together a video representation of their plagiarism and thievery to be broadcast on the screens inside the club while we perform." A malicious smile slid onto her lips, and she paused for a moment as though she could already see it. "Then immediately after the song is over, I'll have my attorneys serve them the lawsuit paperwork."

Seto felt a small grin slide onto his own face – this was why he called Reila his friend. She was just as devious as he was, just as ruthless. Only she was more graceful in dishing out retribution against those who dared attack her or her family, more subtle and patient. She would sit and wait for years if it meant she could completely annihilate a competitor.

He himself was more of an attack hard and fast type of person.

Seto thought for a moment, although his mind had already been made up. Even without his help, Reila would be able to pull this off on her own. But she was asking him for his help, offering him a chance to see her in action as she did what she did best, protecting her family and business. She did it well, and he could see now how she managed to get so many people to sign deals and get the type of contracts she did. Her ability to read people, to use just the right words to ease their misgivings while also bolstering their sense of self-worth was almost poetic. She'd presented the scenario in such a way that she made it seem like her success hinged on his help, like he was the central part of her plan coming off flawlessly. It was second nature to her, otherwise he would be irritated at someone trying to manipulate him. But for Reila, he could make an exception... If she did something for him in return.

"I'll do it, but in return you'll need to do something for me." Seto's mind raced through possibilities, a way that she could repay him for his help. Because there was absolutely no way that he would do this for free, especially given the amount of effort it would take to not snap at the Royalty Records family and get out of there before Reila made her grand entrance.

"What did you have in mind?" Reila's lack of hesitation almost brought a smile to his face. She knew as well as he did that she didn't have to agree to anything, but this was a major dynamic in their friendship – their respective industries kept them separated enough to not be competition with one another while still being close enough to offer or request help. So when one of them helped the other, the party who received he;p was quick to repay the debt.

"The tournament that I'm hosting – I'm making it a city wide tournament, not enclosed within a building. I need someone who is better with people than I am to negotiate the details of what can and cannot happen with the city board." Seto pulled a file from a drawer and handed it to Reila. Now that he thought of it, this was perfect – freeing him from having to haggle with the board would give him more time to work on his hardware. "I could just bribe them with enough money, but putting someone in the negotiations that has a good reputation with the public might make them agree quicker than money alone."

"Hmm, so you need me for my pretty face?" Reila snickered as she looked over the file quickly. "This shouldn't be too much trouble. But I am going to need your authority to give and take certain points in the offers."

"I'll put you on the tournament's committee as our public relations representative." Seto said, jotting it down onto a note to remember to add her onto the committee list. Putting her name on the committee would give his tournament even more credibility, since Reila's management skills were so well known. And it would give him a reason to have her there in the finals to finally see him triumph. She'd seen him defeated twice now, and the thought of her only ever seeing him defeated in a game that he once held the title of World Champion in didn't sit well.

"Alright, I'll do it. Just let me know when you have an invitation and I'll finalize the plans for Royalty's downfall. Do you have an rough idea of when you're going to hold the tournament?" Reila grabbed a pen and began making notes on the outside of the folder, and Seto shook his head at how easily she switched from one plan to another. Her ability to juggle multiple projects at once was just one of the traits that she could and would use to excel as the head of A&R for Sarota Entertainment when she finally got the title.

"Once I've finished the hardware it won't be long before the tournament starts. But with the constant interruptions it's taking longer than I had planned." Leaning back again, he watched as Reila skimmed the file, making notes in the margins of the papers and completely crossing out other parts. "The location for the finals will be held outside the city, and I've already arranged transportation to and from the arena."

"That will help with negotiations, since they'll only have to anticipate active tournament participation for what, two, three days? How many people are you planning on inviting?" Reila finally looked up and Seto handed her a sheet, a rough draft of the guest list. Scanning the list she nodded thoughtfully. "Ah, so the usual regional and national champions. I recognize a few of these names... What about Mai? She made it to the semi-finals of the last tournament, and she's well known in the community."

"This is just a rough draft, but I guess I could add her name in – if she's gotten stronger that is." Seto said, studying Reila's face. Seeing her lips purse slightly, he sighed. "Let me guess, that's why she's still hanging around your house right?"

"She's really excited about the tournament, and it would mean a lot to her to get an invitation." Reila said, and Seto noticed the way she was carefully avoiding outright asking him to invite her. She was treading a thin line, trying to respect that Seto was the one who ultimately made the decisions while trying to not use her influence to help a friend. She was protecting Mai's pride, and a part of Seto could respect that.

Turning his chair back to his desk, Seto opened his laptop to get back to work. "You may be right, maybe I should take another look at her dueling stats. If I do send an invitation I'll just send it to your house." Seto saw the small, genuine smile out of the corner of his eye and knew that Reila had seen through his bluff – to make _her_ , not Mai happy, he would include her friend.

"Sounds good Seto. I'll email you the final plans for the club and once you have a date for the tournament let me know – but try to give me as much notice as you can, please?" Tucking the file under her arm, she began walking to the door before she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "Oh, and one more thing – although we've put our disagreement behind us, until the Watanabe family is out for the count, I think that it would work in my favor if we didn't act like we had reconciled in public. Let them think that we're still fighting, it will make it that much more entertaining when they see that we're back on friendly terms."

"I seem to remember Hojo once saying that you are like a shark in the water – and he's right. I suppose I can act like I'm still angry with you easily enough." Seto grinned as Reila rolled her eyes, but a small grin on her face showed that she knew it was a jest. Turning she left Seto to his thoughts and programming, and while half his mind was focused on finishing his current project, the other half was wondering what on earth was making him agree to such a big favor – friendship couldn't be the only reason.

* * *

 _Two weeks later..._

"He just sent out another round of drinks." Seto opened a side door, the light from the hallway spilling into the alleyway behind the newest night club in Domino City, Rscapes. The entirety of the Watanabe family was in attendance, and the club was filled to the brim with the wealthiest people in the city, and some from other countries as well. Seto had officially had his fill of being around people for the next year after being here only an hour.

"Thanks again Seto, you're the best." Reila stepped into the hallway, followed quickly by Hojo. Both of them were working without Sota Sarota's knowledge, to protect him from any negative backlash. But it was a gamble, using Hojo in her scheme. The idea of unity should be the strongest one coming across, but there was the potential for it to blow up in the future CEO's face.

Seto nodded, scanning Reila's attire. In place of her usual neutral colors, she'd chosen a bold outfit to match the boldness of her actions tonight – a strapless red jumpsuit and glittering gold jewelry. Glancing at Hojo, he noted the dark jeans, red button up and black vest that made him look less CEO material, but more like an artist and matched Reila perfectly. The two of them were geared up for war, and this was a war that the other side didn't even see coming. The only thing that annoyed Seto was that Reila was back to wearing those death traps she called shoes, although it was a little easier to speak with her now that he didn't have to look so far down.

Reila pulled out a cellphone from a hidden pocket of her outfit and dialed a number, waiting for the other person to answer. "Jillian, it's me. We're inside, what setting do we put the microphones to?" Hojo produced two microphones, both golden but Reila's had jewels embedded in it. Flipping the microphone to show the bottom, she set it to the setting needed to pipe into the sound system. "Alright, give us about four minutes and then cue the music and video. Thanks again, you're the best." Hanging up the phone, she turned to Seto who wore a frown on his face. "What?"

"Why are you trusting someone else with something this big?" Seto questioned, knowing that it didn't match Reila's style to trust an outsider with something like this.

"I trust Jillian, and as much as I would have liked to have you help me I couldn't risk you being dragged into the middle of my battles. Jillian is an independent contractor who I have used in the past and she's never betrayed me – I pay her too well for her to think about betraying me." Reila shrugged and the three of them made their way down the hall, where the music from the club was muffled and allowed them to speak without shouting. "Alright two minutes and counting. Seto, I'm going to ask you to head back into the party – people will have noticed your absence and if they see you come in with us they'll start throwing accusations your way."

"You act like I can't handle it." Seto said, his frown deepening. Reila was acting like she had the capability to order him around, but he answered to no one.

"I know you can Seto, but the less involved you are in this the better. If you're suspected of being involved then you're likely to get dragged into the court case, which will delay your tournament even more." Reila explained, and Seto had to admit she had a point. Rolling his eyes in annoyance, he made his way back into the throng of people, returning to the spot that he'd silently claimed as his own – close to the exit and right at the edge of the crowd, leaning with his back against the wall and a scowl on his face.

"There you are! I thought you'd dipped out." Arisu Watanabe smiled as she sidled over to stand next to him, a bright smile plastered on her face. Although Arisu was pretty in a way, she was too high maintenance for Seto's tastes. Her hair was painstakingly styled, her clothing a tad too tight and too revealing. Her makeup accentuated her features well, but without all the work she would be a remarkably plain looking girl. At his continued silence her smile fell a little. "What took you so long?"

"Business call." Seto replied, scanning the crowd. Socialites, actors, actresses, and powerful business people all mingled and danced like they were having the time of their lives, but Seto could see the undercurrent that ran through their collective body language. They were only here to be seen and have their esteem boosted. None of them were truly loyal to Royalty Records, but Royalty boasted that they were wealthier than Sarota so the leeches clung to them. In reality, Sarota was the more powerful of the two companies, and the only reason that they weren't wealthier was because they paid their workers well and donated much more than Royalty to charities and various organizations.

"Oh, well I hope everything is fine." Arisu said blandly, scooting a little closer. Seto bit back the callous remark on his tongue because Arisu was far too emotional to take him snapping at her lightly. Reila took his barbs and shot them right back at him, but Arisu would dissolve into tears if something upset her. Hojiro had done a terrible job raising her, letting her grow up a soft spoiled child.

Arisu turned to him again, her mouth opening to spout more small talk at him when the music suddenly cut and the lights dimmed. Seto felt the corner of his mouth tip up in a smirk as Arisu excused herself, making her way to the central stage where her family had gathered. Before Hojiro could calm his guests, another voice rang out as Reila and Hojo emerged from the hallway where he had left them.

"Hello Mr. Watanabe. I would say we're sorry for barging in on you like this, but we're not." Reila smiled brightly as the crowd parted and she and Hojo walked slowly to the center of the dance floor. "You see, my family and I don't tolerate thieves, and we certainly don't give them the same respect we do to others."

"Now I know what you're all thinking." Hojo turned in a slow circle and eyed the crowd. "What right does Reila have to call them thieves? What proof do we have? Well, the proof will be shown on the screens that surround this lovely establishment. And really Hojiro, your architects did a wonderful job in designing this club." Hojiro's face was slowly turning redder as Hojo spoke, buthe kept a pleasant smile on his face as he continued. "And to celebrate such a triumph, my cousin and I have prepared a small presentation for you and your guests."

Stepping back, the music started just as the footage on the monitors changed to a steady stream of incriminating files, images, and emails sent between Kaiji Watanabe and someone named Tatsuo Ichibane, whom Seto assumed was the guilt party from within Sarota Entertainment. As Hojo began his part of the song, Reila stayed in the background, moving around the edge of the crowd and getting people to join in with clapping and dancing. Some did, but most had their eyes glued to the monitors, beginning to whisper about what they were seeing and hearing. Still, Hojo and Reila could be heard above everything, verbally belittling the Royalty Records family for their acts of thievery and plagiarism.

" _Keep singing songs for me,_

 _That I could write in my sleep just like I'm counting sheep._

 _Keep singing songs for me,_

 _Man you're boring me with your monotony._

 _Keep singing songs for me,_

 _Just following the leader with your 'blah blah blah'!"_

Seto wouldn't say it was awe, but a certain amount of pride was present as he watched Reila play backup to her cousin. She could have taken the center of the stage, but she'd allowed Hojo to be the main accuser, the one who was throwing the sharpest barbs within the song. To anyone who didn't have knowledge about the plan before it's execution, it would seem as though Hojo and been the one to uncover the plot and the main orchestrator of the big reveal. Although he didn't understand Reila's reasoning for not taking credit for her hard work, he could see what it looked like to an outsider, or more accurately to Sarota Entertainment's investors, board members, and stock holders – Hojo Sarota would defend his company and it's property no matter what. Reila was literally bolstering his image and getting him one step closer to becoming the next CEO.

Seto smirked as Hojo spun once, pointing an accusatory finger at Kaiji Watanabe. The lyrics he sang were something that Reila must have had a lot of fun writing.

" _Wow, congratulations on your new purchase,_

 _I heard you bought a crib on Biter's Block downtown Plagiarism's Paradise,_

 _You're not a movement you're purely amusement,_

 _A poster boy for Xerox and the role model for parasites._

 _You serve no purpose,_

 _You're purely decorative,_

 _And bore us to death with your auditory sedatives_."

As the song came to a close, Hojo and Reila stood side by side, confidence bleeding from their pores. The entire room fell silent as they waited for the any of the Watanabes to deny the accusations, but the entire family seemed in shock. Arisu had tears streaming down her face as she stared in horror at the screens, still playing the video on a loop. Hojiro had gone pale, and even from a distance Seto could see in his eyes that he'd already accepted defeat. The two older brothers, Minobu and Hatsuhiro, stared at their younger brother with a mixture of shock, anger, and disappointment. While Kaiji...

Kaiji Watanabe looked as though he was envisioning every possible way he could murder Reila where she stood. Too her credit, she met his gaze straight on, not even blinking as he finally caved and looked away, shame and disgust on his face.

Hojo seemed to note the silent exchange between his cousin and the youngest son as he wrapped an arm around her bare shoulders, a silent gesture of protection. "You'll be hearing from our lawyers- oh look at that, here they are." Hojo grinned wolfishly as four lawyers entered the room, making a beeline for the stage and serving the suit papers to Hojiro and Kaiji. "We'll be in touch." With that last comment Hojo gently steered Reila to the front doors, Seto silently falling into step beside them as they exited with their heads held high.

A loud shout stopped them in their tracks, and the three turned to see Kaiji being visibly restrained by his guards, a murderous look on his face as his gaze focused solely on Reila. "You heartless snake! How dare you!?"

"How dare I?" Reila raised a brow at the accusation and stepped forward just enough so that only Kaiji, Hojo, and Seto could hear her. "How dare you think that you could steal the hard work of others and profit from it. How dare you steal from my artists, my songwriters, and more importantly my family. But most of all, how **dare** you threaten my company and family. I warned you – those who cross Sarota don't stick around to tell others about their mistakes." Stepping back, she kept the same pleasant smile on her face, but raised her voice so others around them could hear. "I wish that you'd fully thought out your actions – it's heartbreaking to see your family suffering over your greed. But I will forgive you for attempting to assault me. After all, your emotions are obviously running high and I would hate to but even more misfortune on you and your family."

Seto bit back a laugh – the Princess was in control alright. By loudly forgiving him for the attempted assault she was painting herself as a saint, and no one would suspect that she'd purposely set a trap to snare a mole. Not only had she found the snake in her own company, she'd also caught on hell of a catch.

The means to completely take out an opposing company.

* * *

Safely ensconced in Seto's limo, I grinned widely as Hojo and I watched the steady stream of guests leaving Rscapes. From behind the heavily tinted glass no one could see just how much joy I was taking from the night's events, but Hojo and Seto saw it.

"Oh that was too perfect! Hojo you did an amazing job." Leaning over I kissed his cheek happily before sitting back and clapping my hands together. "Did you see Hojiro's face? He looked like he was ready to blow a gasket. I don't for one second believe that he didn't know what Kaiji was doing – he had to have known."

"Regardless of if he did or not, he and his family are done for. They'll never be able to work in this industry again, not after being publicly shamed like this." Hojo said, studying the faces of the guests who were leaving.

Hojo was right, of course – there were very few ways to come back from such a huge scandal. The Watanabe family would have to work long and hard to get their image back, and the trust of their associates. No one wanted to deal with thieves, or at least not be caught dealing with them. Sure corporate sabotage happens all the time, but most are smart enough and careful enough to not get caught. It's only when you get caught that things can go from bad to worse.

Turning to Seto, I smiled widely. "Thanks again for your help Seto – and for escorting us out." The look on Arisu's face when Seto had left the club with Hojo and I, without so much as a backward glance in her direction had been priceless. I don't know what her intentions had been towards Seto, whether they were romantic or strictly platonic, but either way Seto would never speak to her again, of that I was sure.

Seto nodded once before reaching into a briefcase by his feet, handing me a thick file just as the car began driving. "The hardware is almost finished. In that file is a more detailed schedule of events that you can use to get the city council on board and minimize the amount of griping that they'll be doing."

Nodding I opened the file and scanned, my heart rate increasing slightly. Training with Ydor was going better, but I still couldn't handle his magic at full force – Ydor estimated that it would be at least another month or so before I was able to handle the backlash from wielding such strong magic. But if Seto was almost done... "So about a month and a half from now? That should be plenty of time, I'll call tomorrow and schedule a meeting with them and the mayor. You said that the finals weren't being held in the city?"

"The location won't be disclosed until the finalists are gathered and on the blimp." Seto raised an eyebrow as I bit my lip to keep from laughing, but he didn't say anything about it. "All transportation, lodging, and catering will be handled by Kaiba Corp. for the finals."

"Of course. We'll have to coordinate with local air traffic control to ensure that there won't be any problems with incoming commercial liners, and I think notifying the police force would be a good idea so that they're not chasing their tails with concerned calls from residents of the city." Holding out my hand, Seto rolled his eyes before placing a pen in it and I began jotting notes in the margins of the paperwork.

"Does she always deface documents like that?" Seto asked, glancing in Hojo's direction.

Hojo nodded his head, reaching into the mini fridge for a drink. "Yeah, it's how she keeps herself focused. Apparently if she doesn't write it down, she won't remember it." Hojo glanced over my shoulder, a frown on his face. "Uh Reila, I don't normally pry into your personal life but you might have a problem with the proposed day of the finals."

"What? What problem are you talking about? My schedule is wide open, I made sure of it once Seto asked me to help with his tournament." Frowning, I wracked my brain for something that I'd missed.

"Uh you don't remember agreeing to be in the music video for _Killpop_? Remember, Tyler Correl asked you personally if you would be his co-star in the video." Hojo furrowed his brow as he studied me. "Seriously, how could you forget? You were so excited about it you were actually jumping on your bed. He's coming to Domino City ont hat very day to shoot your parts of the video."

I blinked as I thought back, the pieces clicking into place. "Oh no no no no no! I can't believe I forgot..." I had agreed to be in his band's music video, because I was such a fan of their music and because the song was one that I was addicted to. Not only that but Tyler had said he would fly to Japan just to make it easier on me, instead of my flying to America. "Wait, Seto am I going with you to the finals?"

"I thought you were, didn't I mention it?" Seto sat back, his arms crossed over his chest.

I could see from his body language that he was annoyed. His wanting me to be there worked in my favor, and I thought about how to make this work for a moment. "If I schedule the video shoot for earlier in the day, there shouldn't be any problems. We'll get an early start on filming and focus only on the parts that they need me for, that should give me plenty of time to change and get to the departure area." Looking up at Seto, I saw some of the tension leave his shoulder and smiled. "There, problem solved!"

Seto nodded in agreement, and the limo pulled to a stop at the front doors of the Sarota Manor. Now the only thing left to do tonight was inform my uncle of what Hojo and I had done... And hope that he wasn't going to be upset with me taking action and not informing him.

"Thanks for the ride Kaiba. If you ever need anything, just ask – we owe you a lot." Hojo said, shaking hands briefly with Seto before exiting the car. I followed after him, but turned back to face Seto before his driver closed the door.

"Thank you." Leaning down, I gave him a small kiss on the cheek before turning and walking up the stairs to my house, amazed that I wasn't as flustered this time. Maybe because I was still on an emotional high, or maybe because I knew it was nothing more than a friendly kiss to show gratitude, nothing more. Either way, it was done and couldn't be taken back.

Although the expression on his face was downright adorable, just like when we were kids.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** This chapter hates me. **HATES ME**. It's refused to be written so many times. I had to start from scratch like five times and each time I hated it more. I think this version will work though. FINALLY.

As always thank you for your reviews, kind words, favorites and follows! Now that this jerk of a chapter is over, hopefully the foul beast known as writer's block has been vanquished for a while. Shout outs to **Counting Sinful Stars** , **animagirl** , **Rosezelene Ersa** , **Drachegirl14** , and **Gallium Stoat** for reviewing!

I would say more but I'm sure you all are more interested in the chapter. Update on real life blah-ness will be at the bottom if you're curious :)

 **Disclaimer: I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.  
**

* * *

Chapter 16

"Is there a reason you're huddled on my couch?"

I looked up from where I had my face buried in my arms, glaring balefully at Seto. Currently I was sitting on the couch of his home office, back tight against the couch's arm and my knees drawn up and my arms resting on them. "Can you just please let me wallow in miserable silence for a few minutes? Thanks." Having said my piece I dropped my forehead back onto my knees, my hair falling to create a curtain around my face. Seto returned to reading whatever report was in his hands and let me sit in relative peace, until...

"You don't like silence."

Groaning I lifted my head again and pushed my hair out of my face, glaring again. "Seto, seriously just let me sort through my thoughts, please. I came here because I figured you would be less inclined to pry, but you're doing a pretty spot on impression of Hojo and his need to nag."

Seto raised an eyebrow, clearly unhappy with being compared to Hojo. We locked gazes for a moment, but the silent demand that I explain myself was there in his eyes. Sighing, I decided that giving in and explaining would be the easiest thing to do - at least then he might let me have a moment to collect my thoughts. Shuffling on the couch for a moment, I swung my legs down and faced him fully.

"Since you apparently won't let me sit here quietly and mind my own business," I purposefully ignored his pointed look around _his_ office, "The truth is... I might have overstepped my bounds last night. Meaning that our board of directors is currently up in arms that I took the initiative to take out a major competitor without express permission from them or my uncle."

"I still don't understand how your uncle allows them to have so much say in how the company is run. You're his niece, you act in his name." Seto scowled, putting his papers down and giving me his full attention.

I made a wobbling motion with my hand to indicate 'kind-of-sort-of'. "I act in my own name with my uncle's blessing... Most of the time. This one time though I was only partially acting on his orders. Yes, he told me to weed out the mole quietly, which I did. But when I discovered that I could link the mole to Kaiji, and take down the Watanabe family for good..." I sighed again, running a hand through my hair. "I didn't tell him of my plans because if it had back-fired I wanted him to be able to come out of it without a mark on his reputation. You know it as well as I do; a failed takeover, or in this case a failed take _down_ can seriously damage a CEO's reputation, and a damaged reputation leads to a drop in stock prices, loss of investors, and if bad enough can even lead to a complete bankruptcy. I wanted to protect my uncle and the company from any potential backlash, and if things had gone badly enough I could even take the blame off of Hojo and place it directly on myself."

"You're willing to sacrifice your own reputation to protect your uncle and cousin?" The look on Seto's face wasn't necessarily baffled, but there was definitely a need for clarification.

"Yes, because I'm the only one who can. I'm the only one who can operate subtly in the background without drawing attention to myself. Uncle Sota is watched too closely by both our board members and the public, while Hojo is too brash and reckless to successfully do anything quietly. I may be a public figure to a certain extent, but no one suspects me before it's too late and no one else believes that I'm capable of completely annihilating them."

Seto smirked. "A mistake on their part."

"Yes, but I prefer to think of it more as a victory against public perception." I said, standing and beginning to slowly pace. Actually, speaking with Seto was helping to calm my racing thoughts, grounding me and letting me think clearer. "I've made an image for myself as the demure little damsel, the reserved and unassuming Princess. Most of the general population wouldn't believe half the things I've been involved with even if they were given proof - not that there is any proof for them to find of course." Sighing I tilted my head as I looked out the windows, watching one of his gardeners working on the grounds. "Honestly Seto, sometimes I get so tired of wearing a mask in public. It's exhausting at times, and although using a fake persona has been useful, sometimes I want a real challenge and real recognition."

"Then stop wearing a mask. Let everyone know exactly who they're dealing with." Seto's gaze fixed on me, and I raised an eyebrow as he continued. "Reila you are one of the most powerful people in your company, but you're not taking credit for it. I've never understood why you don't stand up and take credit, why you don't let those small minded idiots know who it is that will be helping Hojo rule over Sarota. Don't let someone with half your intelligence think that they'll be able to order you around - let them know here and now that they will be answering to you one day and that you won't take anything less than complete obedience."

"You're suggesting that I give up the 'Princess' who follows rules set by others...?" My voice trailed off as I thought back to what my uncle had said about the meeting he'd had with the board members just this morning.

" _Reila, I don't think you understand the gravity of this situation! I have board members screaming at me that you should have kept your mouth shut and let them handle it instead of dragging Hojo into a media maelstrom. I understand your anger at having our music stolen, you know that I don't tolerate thieves either. But lashing out at an entire company without even telling me - what were you thinking? Manabu is starting to spread a rumor that you're too vindictive and hostile, and his words aren't falling on deaf ears with this scandal."_

"... Maybe it is time to stop pretending to be a princess..." I murmured, tugging on a curl as my thoughts picked up speed again. I was vaguely aware of the probing look that Seto was sending me, but I was too busy formulating a new plot. I was almost certain that Manabu was planning something big, something to try and take the A&R department out of my reach for good. This rumor that he was spreading would cement a few members of the board against me, and a head of any department needed a majority vote by the board members in order to officially take the position. If he could sway even just a few board members onto his side of the field, I wouldn't ever be able to take the position until the board members were six feet under. And since murder isn't my style, the only option would be to wait for them to croak of old age.

"I don't know why your uncle has let you sit on the sidelines for so long. You're too talented to hide away." Seto said, turning in his chair to face me fully. "But your biggest talent is being underutilized."

"I'm good at manipulating people and situations to the advantage of our company, everyone who bothers to look knows that. It's hardly a talent that's being underutilized." I said, raising an eyebrow. The statement was a bit blunt, but Seto knew that I'd been doing this for years. He'd seen me wrangle extra sweets, piano time, and even an extra half hour before lights out at the orphanage. My ability to read people so well gave me an advantage over other people my age, and even some who were a little older.

"You are good at it, but it's not your greatest talent." Seto said, gesturing to the television on his wall. When I'd gotten here he'd had the news playing, but I'd asked him to turn it off; instead he'd muted it. Now there was a clip of me and Hojo at the club last night, and from the captions beneath I knew that they were talking about the impromptu concert and discussing the causes and the immediate effects that were coming from it. "I saw it happen at the white party you hosted at your home a few months ago - when you take the stage, people listen. They see someone they want to be, and you're not turning that to your advantage. Men and women sit up and take notice, not just because you have a nice voice but because of the passion you pour into your music. You have a wealth of untapped potential but you're holding back. If you stopped hiding from it, you could use that talent to amass enough power and sway within your company so that no one would oppose you."

Seto... Had a point. I knew that my voice was fairly good, and that people liked my music. Granted the most praise had come from the two or three songs that I had "borrowed" from my memories, but the ones that I had written myself had been well received also. I'd had people hounding me with questions about why I hadn't become a recorded artist, and I always had an excuse. 'It would take time away from my studies' or 'I'm more concerned with helping my family and company where I can' were the main ones, but they were really just smokescreens to hide the truth.

I do **not** like being the center of attention.

I have no problems with sharing the stage with someone, or with being brought to the front for a moment or two. But the more time in the spotlight, the greater the chance that someone will notice something unusual about me. I already had enough attention drawn my way just from my physical appearance, I didn't want to run the risk of anyone delving into my personal life and seeing something that might clue them in that I'm more than who I say I am. I may have been born Reila Castille, but from even before my birth I've been something more. I was someone else, and a part of who I once was still existed inside me in the form of my memories. I'd already seen the danger of letting someone's attention sit on me for too long at Pegasus's castle, and if not for Ydor that would have ended horribly.

The fact is that there are people here in this world who can and will use the knowledge I have hidden within me and twist things to their advantage, to change the fate of the world. If I'm not careful, if I don't guard that knowledge carefully it could be disastrous. By staying out of the spotlight as much as possible, it reduces the risks of me painting a target on my back and welcoming more trouble into my life.

 ** _A moot point young one. You have already drawn attention to yourself once, and so long as you continue to associate with those who are even partially involved with the main challenges that this world will face you will continue to be a target. The real question is, will you become a target of your own making, or will you become a target to be used against those you care about?_**

 _You're not helping me Ydor._ I blew a stray curl out of my face as Seto turned back to his reports, giving me time to think things over. _By welcoming more publicity than I already have, I run the risk of a threat I_ don't _know about figuring out that I know what will happen in the future._

 ** _You are using that as an excuse and you know it._ ** If I could raise an eyebrow at him, I would have done it right then. **_The odds of someone discovering that you hold knowledge of the future just by following you around are slim to none. You do not outwardly show any signs of having knowledge you should not. All of your knowledge is here within your mind, and no one may enter here without having to face me. I am more than a match for any petty conjurer that you might meet._**

 _It still doesn't make any sense to **invite** trouble. _

I could both hear and almost feel Ydor's growl. It's _really_ uncomfortable when he growls inside me.

 ** _I grow tired of your excuses young one. Are you or are you not going to do what is necessary to achieve your ultimate goal? I have seen your thoughts, particularly those centered around this Manabu person. He will do whatever he can to stop you from taking control of the realm you desire, this 'A &R'. The boy has a point, if you start building power now then when it comes time for him to hand over leadership you can effectively take it from him - but you must begin now._**

Sighing, I almost felt like I was being blindsided by both Seto and Ydor. But my dragon friend did have a point, the chances of someone truly finding out what secrets I had were minuscule. And they were both right that in order to take control of the true power of the company in the end, I would need to start gathering more loyalty and power than I currently held.

"Manabu wouldn't expect me to announce that I have any intention of becoming a recorded artist..." I murmured, seeing the pieces falling into place. He'd be blindsided, and the publicity from my announcing an album release date could potentially overshadow this whole incident with Royalty.

"You've mentioned that name before." Seto said, raising an eyebrow and motioning quickly with his hand for me to elaborate.

"He's the current head of the A&R department, and hates me with every fiber of his being. Once upon a time he had intentions of asking my mother to marry him, but then she ran away with my father before he had a chance. He sees my existence as a permanent reminder that my mother chose another over him and considers my being adopted back into the family as a personal insult." I shrugged my shoulders. "I've been dealing with his whining ever since, but he's smart enough to keep the real reasons for his bitterness towards me away from my uncle's eyes and ears. And my going to my uncle with a complaint about him would undermine any respect I've managed to build up with the current board members."

Seto nodded in understanding. "So he's your main obstacle."

"He is, and he thinks he knows me well enough to stop me. If I sign a contract with Sarota I will ultimately be at his mercy, but there are ways around that. The real challenge will be keeping myself out of his clutches entirely, seeing as he can cut funding for anything to do with my album at any time. I might ask my uncle about bolstering one of our lesser known labels with my album, and if I can get Gorou Kimoto to agree to be my producer I should be able to keep Manabu from throwing too many curveballs my way. Gorou has enough pull with the company to get things done that I alone wouldn't be able to." The more I thought about it, the more this plan was sounding like the best option. Using Gorou as a buffer would keep Manabu from completely undermining me, and my uncle would be closely watching my career as well. If Manabu overstepped his bounds and was found to be blatantly sabotaging me, my uncle would not be the only one questioning why.

"Good. It's better that you're scheming instead of moping." Seto said, turning to his desk again. I rolled my eyes in his general direction but smiled, because I really was feeling better now that I had a game plan.

"Thanks for being a sound board Seto. I'll be sure to put a touching note of thanks in the dedication section of my album." I said, winking at the scowl on his face.

"Don't. No one bothers to read those things."

* * *

After saying goodbye to Mokuba on my way out the door - he'd just come back from the museum with his history tutor - I made my way home and began planning in earnest. Mai had left to a neighboring town to participate in a smaller Duel Monsters tournament, and since Hojo and my uncle were both still at the office that gave me plenty of time to come up with the best way to pitch my idea to my uncle. I needed to properly spin my idea in a way that made me sound apologetic enough to soothe my uncle's minor irritation at me, and a way that we could spin it to the public to take some of the heat off of us for my taking down Royalty Records. In hindsight, maybe taking out a major competitor in such a public way wasn't one of my brightest ideas, since controlling the story was now out of my hands. My first course of action was to decide on a song that I would release as a single ahead of the full length album.

 _ **Tell me, why is the first single from a musical album so important?**_

Ydor had been peppering me with questions ever since I got home, either to satisfy his own curiosity or to help prepare me for the questioning that my uncle was going to put me through regarding my decision. I wasn't one hundred percent sure of his motivation.

"An artist's first single will make or break them. My case is a tiny bit different, because I'm already a public figure. Since that's the case, I can play around a little and bypass the usual 'building a fanbase' step. Granted my current fanbase isn't as big as others have had before they've signed a record deal, but I'm almost certain that I won't have any problems garnering more fans." Since I was alone at the moment, I didn't see the harm in talking quietly aloud.

 ** _And your uncle will have no problems with your plans?_**

I thought for a moment before I shrugged. "He might be a little hesitant, since I'm in the middle of some pretty bad media backlash. But I know my uncle, and I can get him to agree to it so long as I present it in the right light. I'm sure he would probably think it best if I stay out of the public's eye for a while, but hiding will only make things worse. I couldn't control the initial story, but I'm fairly confident that I can present my side of the story in the right way to quiet at least a third of the nay-sayers, if not half of them."

 ** _I sometimes think that you overestimate your abilities, but then I see your plans somehow turn out alright in the end._**

"On the contrary Ydor, I think that I estimate my abilities just right; I have at least two contingency plans on the off chance that this doesn't work. Gorou likes me enough to agree to this no problem, plus he owes me for smoothing things over between him and the A&R department a year or so back. As for my uncle..." I paused as I tried to formulate the right words. "I don't mean to say that I know how to manage my uncle, but I know him and his way of thinking well enough to know if what I say will be accepted by him or not. He and I are close enough in mental maturity that I can generally judge his reactions to my statements or plans."

Ydor made a non-committal sound as I focused my attention on choosing the right song. By this point I'd even pulled out songs that I wrote years ago, and had them all spread out on the floor in the living room. I had three piles; a 'maybe', a 'no', and a 'need to shred and burn the scraps'. So far, the 'no' pile was by far the largest.

The problem wasn't that I didn't have a good songs, it's that none of the songs seemed to really grab my attention well enough. If I was going to take the plunge and let myself take center stage, I was going to do it my way.

Boldly and unapologetically.

With that in mind, I was surprised to find that most of the songs I'd written were... Bland. They were good, but none of them were the right songs. Then again, I'd written most of these songs for other artists and had to tailor them to that specific style of that artist. Creating my own style would be a challenge, but it was something that every artist did during the lead-up to their debut.

 _ **If you wish to be bold and unapologetic, why not expose this Manabu man to the world?**_

"No, attacking Manabu directly isn't an option at this point. I'm already in some deep water from my taking out Royalty, and my uncle... I don't think I can handle disappointing him anymore than I apparently have."

Honestly, that whole thing about wanting to have a parent or parental figure be mad at you rather than disappointed? Completely true. When my uncle had called me into his office after a meeting with the board of directors. I've never seen my uncle look so... Worn. My uncle is not a young man, being in his later forties but this morning was the first time that it's really hit me just how much he deals with. I've taken for granted the fact that Uncle Sota acts as a buffer between the board members, me, and Hojo. Maybe it was that realization that I hadn't been giving my uncle enough credit, or maybe it was the fact that it was really the first time that my uncle has ever been disappointed in me... Either way it had broken a piece of my heart to see that look on his face.

"No, attacking Manabu will only make more problems in the long run. I need to salvage my reputation with the other board members, and the public, all while keeping my war with Manabu as silent as possible. The fact that he had a hand in the entire situation with the leaked songs makes me wonder if he had other plans beside lining his pockets with more money. But until I can get concrete evidence that he was directly involved it's just speculation." Chewing on the end of a pencil I looked over the small pile of 'maybe' songs.

Hearing someone clearing their throat, I looked up to see my uncle leaning against the doorway, briefcase by his feet. "Scheming aloud now?"

I gave him a wan smile. "Not scheming necessarily. Planning, yes but this situation is a little too volatile for a scheme." Sighing I stuck the pencil behind my ear, scooting on the floor I turned to fully face him. "I know that I... I overstepped my bounds. And I'm truly sorry for the trouble that I've caused you uncle; that wasn't my intention. I thought that by not telling you, I was protecting you in case it blew up in my face."

My uncle nodded and stepped into the room, sitting down in a chair near me and carefully avoiding the piles of papers scattered around. "I know that Reila. I know you wouldn't ever intentionally cause problems for me, Hojo, or the company. Looking over what happened, I can understand how you could get caught up in the moment and not plan four steps ahead as you normally do." He briefly rubbed his forehead, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "Sometimes I wonder if I've done you more harm than good by allowing you to handle the more negative aspects of our business. It was bound to blow up in your face eventually, and although this is only a small amount of negative publicity for you, what it could have been..."

I placed a hand on his knee to stop him from continuing. "Uncle Sota, don't think like that. If I thought it was too much for me to handle I would tell you. Yes I'm facing some negative publicity, but I think I have a way around that."

"It's not just from the public; board members are starting to talk and they're not sure they want you to have so much power without really earning it." I studied his face closely as he spoke. His eyes looked tired, and I noted fine wrinkles around his eyes and mouth that I hadn't seen before. Had he always had so much grey hair at his temples? How could he seem to age so much in just a day?

"I know, and the plan I've come up with will help both sides of this problem." Picking up the pile of "maybe" songs I handed them to my uncle. "I've decided two things: firstly, I think it would be a good idea to extend an invitation to the artists and employees of Royalty Records who were innocent of any intentional involvement in the theft of our music for them to come work for us. That will show the public that we're still merciful and just, that we're not punishing the entire company but just those who were doing wrong."

My uncle sat up a little straighter as he slowly thought it over, and smiled in the end. "That will help bolster our image even more than it's been damaged. But where do you propose we put so many workers? Royalty wasn't as large as us but they do have quite a few workers."

"Revive a dying label by placing them in an off-branch company under some of our experienced managers." I said, shrugging. "Then we won't have to worry about retaliation from them, and I know for a fact that we pay our workers more than they would have made at Royalty. Higher wages mean loyalty and gratefulness."

"Alright, that is a good plan. It allows us to not only absorb some of their higher grossing artists, but also to save face with the public. What of the artists that won't join Sarota? What if they hold a personal grudge against us?"

I thought for a moment. "Well, the mere fact that we're not including them in the copyright lawsuit should be enough to keep them quiet. If they insist on attacking us, or more to the point me, I'm sure that a word or two slipped to the right people will be enough to paint them in the wrong light. Despite what some people would try to get you to believe, I do have a good working relationship with enough people to still operate from the shadows."

Uncle Sota frowned. "That comment is rather odd. What do you mean by 'what some people would try to get me to believe'?"

"I'll get to that in a minute. The second part of my plan is this; I announce quite vocally and publicly that I'm signing a contract with our company to become a recorded artist. I will sign the same contract as any of our other artists would and will even agree to have my work overseen by a producer instead of producing it myself." I waited a moment to allow the idea to sink in. "I already know who I am going to ask to be my producer, and I'm almost certain that he will say yes. Not only that, but by doing this I can sort of stretch the truth a little and say that one of the songs Royalty stole was one that I had planned to put on my debut album. That will make my 'overreaction' seem a little more believable."

Uncle Sota stood and walked over to the fireplace, studying the picture on the mantle. We had a small collection of family pictures littered across the top of it, but the one he was focusing his attention on was a picture of my mother when she was about my age.

Despite how similar I was to my mother in temperament, physically there was almost no trace of her in my features. Aside from the very slight almond shape that my eyes had, a testament to my Asian heritage, I had a majority of my father's features. It was his curly, deep auburn hair that I'd inherited, along with his remarkably pale skin. I assumed that his family had curvaceous women somewhere in the past because my figure was almost hourglass shaped in comparison to my mother's thinner, willowy build. Yet despite sharing almost no features with her, somehow I'd adopted or inherited much the same outlook on life as she had possessed. She'd given her all to her family, just as I do. If she cared for someone, it was deeply and without any barriers or restrictions, just as I do. Maybe if my father had lived longer I would have adopted more of his attitude, but that couldn't be changed now.

"Your mother would have a fit if she knew you were even considering becoming a recorded artist. Even when we were younger and just watching artists become the celebrities they are today, Satsumi was adamant that no child of hers would go through so much stress and grueling work." He lightly brushed the frame that held my mother's smiling face before turning to me. "Are you sure about this Reila? You know how demanding an artist's schedule can be, how little time you will have for anything else. Especially not an artist who is just starting out."

"I've thought this through very carefully, uncle. I already have a small fan base from the handful of performances that I've done at our events, and expanding on that might take time but it is something that I'm confident I can do. I'm not expecting overnight fame, but I'm patient. Plus, this can give me time to really learn from the front lines what our artists go through so that I can effectively help them more." I watched my uncle's face closely as I spoke, and didn't see any telltale signs of immediate disapproval.

"There is something more that you're not telling me, isn't there?" Uncle Sota turned to me and waited patiently as I tried to word my real motivation in as mild a manner as I could.

"Yes uncle. Manabu... Manabu has become more and more vocal about his hatred for me in recent years. He has made it quite clear to many people that he has no intention of ever letting me take over as head of the A&R department."

The look on my uncle's face turned dark. "It's not solely up to him, and he knows it. Any appointment of a new head of department is voted on by the entire board, and only a majority vote can approve or disapprove an appointment. Already a majority of the board is on your side, but I will admit with this negative publicity it's only by a small margin that you would get the department, if we took a vote today. He was one of the more vocal board members today when we were discussing your actions, as I have already told you, but I didn't think that he would outright be this angry over it."

"It has less to do with my actions, and more to do with my stunt last night giving him cause to step forward with his complaints." At my uncle's probing look I sighed and stood, beginning to pace as I explained. "I've... Kept quiet about it for quite some time now. But Manabu hates me, uncle. And I don't mean that in a 'he and I don't see eye to eye' sort of way, I mean he loathes me. I'm sure you're aware that Manabu had planned on asking grandfather for permission to marry my mother?"

"I knew that he had mentioned a time or two that he was interested in her, but they were never a couple so I assumed..." my uncle trailed off and I could practically see the pieces of the puzzle clicking together in his mind. His eyes narrowed as his anger began simmering to the surface. "How long?"

I knew what he was asking without him having to elaborate - how long had Manabu been causing problems for me. Deciding that it was better to be frank, rather than keeping anything from him anymore I sat down and waited until he had sat as well to answer. "Practically since I was adopted back into the family. He sees me as a constant reminder that mother found him inferior to someone else, and his hatred for my father has bled over into hatred for me. I assume that because I favor my father so much physically it's a double whammy to his pride, but I think it's also because we all know the truth; mother was supposed to take over the A&R department, and if she hadn't left Manabu wouldn't have any of the power that he does now."

My uncle swore softly under his breath, rubbing his eyes as he struggled to maintain his calm. "I almost wish you had told me about this earlier, but I can understand why you wouldn't have. The board would not believe you, or even me without sufficient proof. And despite how much I don't like Manabu, I will admit that he is too smart to leave proof for anyone to find."

"Exactly. That's why I didn't even bring him up during this whole Royalty debacle; I couldn't link him directly. Any evidence was pure speculation, but I know that he had a hand in the entire operation. I don't know what game he was playing at, selling off our music like that but I don't believe for one second that it was just money. If I had to guess, I think that it was probably some sort of deal with Kaiji to bankrupt Sarota - Manabu would jump ship at the last possible moment to avoid complete financial ruin and see me taken down in the process."

"But that doesn't explain why he would be willing to sacrifice the company who has kept him in his cushy lifestyle for so long." Uncle Sota stood and walked to the window, looking out as the sun began setting.

"He's a man who feels that he's been wronged. Men like that don't care who they take down to get the revenge that they've deluded themselves into thinking that they deserve. But again, there's no actual proof. Although it would be a simple task to fabricate evidence, you and I would never sink to that level. If he doesn't slip up or make any mistakes, then my victory over him will be that much sweeter." I shared a look with Uncle Sota, because we both understood one another.

I have learned a lot under my uncle's tutelage, about the business world and about life in general. Although I already possessed the ability to read people as well as he does, I am also more than on par with his ability to predict people and what they would do in the future. I will admit that my uncle is still much better at it than I am, and so for the time being I still rely on him to help me predict what my - our - enemies will do. The fact that my uncle understands me and agrees with me means that he trusts my judgement, which means that I am on the right path.

Uncle Sota was quiet for a moment before he nodded once. "If you're absolutely sure that you want to go down this path, you have my support. And I know that Hojo will be behind you completely as well. But how do you plan to convince Manabu to allow you to sign a contract? I could order him to sign it but that would only give him more ammunition against you."

I stood and walked to his side, looking out the window with him. "I've thought about it, and I came up with only one solution, but I will need your help - during the share holders meeting, I make my intentions quite clear to all those who hold stock in our company. Manabu never attends those meetings, although you and the rest of the board have asked him to many times. Now, you and I both know that the share holders have the power with their combined voices to get anyone in this company to do anything that they want. And for the better part of three years they have been practically begging me to sign a contract and release at least one album. If I announce to all of our share holders that I'm doing exactly that, they'll be hounding Manabu for an official contract signing as soon as possible. They won't want to give me the chance to change my mind, and if they were to discover that it was Manabu's fault that a contract wasn't signed, that he dragged his feet for whatever reason..."

My uncle's smile wasn't quite as sharp as mine, but I could see the shared Sarota traits between us as he turned to face me. "They'll demand his resignation for letting such a talented artist slip through the cracks. You've already proven to them that you're more than talented enough, with both your voice and your talent for writing music. If Manabu doesn't sign you on after you make it known to the share holders that you want to finally give them something they've been asking for, they'll want an exact reason why."

"And that's something that Manabu would never allow to happen. He will try to get some of the board members to vote my contract out, placing the blame on them instead of taking the heat himself, but all we need is a majority to ensure that he can't do that. I'm sure that you and Hojo can ensure that enough board members will back me and won't let Manabu manipulate them into agreeing with him." The idea was giving me more energy, definitely getting rid of the fog of self pity that I'd been slumped in.

"That's a simple enough task. Hojo will welcome the challenge, and I for one will take great pleasure in manipulating the end of someone like Manabu. It's one thing to hold onto a grudge for so long, it's another things entirely to punish someone's child just for existing. And when that child is my own sister's daughter, my niece..." I watched as my uncle's mouth tightened into a grim line, his expression darkening even further. "Manabu will pay, not only for his involvement in that mess with Royalty, but also for his treatment of you."

"His 'treatment of me' concerns me very little, uncle. My priority always has been and always will be the company." And it was true - Manabu could do say what he wanted about me, so long as he didn't come after the company that my family had so painstakingly built from the ground up. But he had gone a step further than that; he had tried to cheat the company, and in doing so had tried to cheat my uncle.

And that more than anything is what I can't, and won't, forgive.

"So, what song have you chosen for your first single? If I know you, this is one decision that you will not leave up to your producer." My uncle took hold of my arm gently, steering me back to the piles of songs littered on the floor.

"I've been... Having trouble with that. The songs that I've written for our song bank just don't fit, and the ones that I wrote for specific artists don't fit either. I want something... Bold, unapologetic, and in your face. You know as well as I do that I'm going to have to completely rework my image; demure and unassuming works well enough in a business meeting, but now I'm not going to be able to have that same style. And I don't mean just clothing, I mean _everything_ \- the "Princess" is coming for the crown and..." I trailed off, pieces clicking even further into place. "Oh my God, it's perfect."

"What...?" My uncle trailed off as I thrust a piece of paper from my "maybe" pile under his nose. Taking it from my hand, I began scooping up the other piles as I waited for him to read over the lyrics. This particular song was written during my teenage years, when I was feeling homesick for my first life. I'd written down the lyrics for some of my favorite songs, and had hidden them away so that no one else could use them... Unless it was the original artist, of course.

"Reila... This is brilliant." My uncle's smile was wide, and a little sharp at the edges like I knew mine got when I was thinking along the lines of ruining someone's day, if not their entire life. "It's just subtle enough that Manabu can't claim it's about him, and just bold enough to let him know that you're taking aim at him."

"Exactly. Let me get with Gorou tomorrow and make it official that he will be my producer, and I should have the song ready by this time next week." My grin matched my uncles, and I could feel the remaining negative emotions draining out of me, replaced with excitement and determination. I may have been running from this for the better part of eight years, but now that I knew going down this road would give me more power and be able to use that power to help Hojo and my uncle, I was going to give it my all.

"Let me hear the final cut of the song before you go public." He said, and I could see pride glowing in his eyes as he looked at me. "I'm very proud of you, Reila. And I know your parents would be as well."

I felt tears well in my eyes at his words - that was the highest honor that I could ever hope to achieve, to be someone that my parents would have been proud of. "Thank you, uncle."

* * *

The process of actually recording a song, let alone an album is actually a very long, drawn out process - and rather boring to boot. The first thing that gets recorded are the "scratch tracks", which is basically a quickly thrown together track. Individual tracks are recorded for the guitars, drums, bass, vocals, etc. and are then arranged to get a general idea of what the song will sound like on completion. Then, each instrument, vocals, and backup vocals are re-recorded, this time to get the actual track that will be put onto the album. Then the producer will mix them all together to get the right sound, and the entire thing is sent to a CD press once everything has been finalized.

Since I was aiming to release a single song first, versus a full length album, we were working double time to make sure that the song got finished in time for a big reveal. Gorou had been quick to sign on as my producer, because getting under Manabu's skin was something he enjoyed as much as I did. He was also immensely talented and more than willing to share his experience with me - I may be good, but he had years of experience that I was more than willing to learn from. His personal staff were called in to help, and given that my music had more synthesized sounds versus an actual band backing me it made it a little easier to get the song premier ready. Although his own personal taste was different than mine, he appreciated the sound I was going for enough to not fight me about it.

It also made it easier to not have an actual band backing me for impromptu performances, such as "crashing" the share holders meeting.

What we call a meeting in this case is less of a formal boardroom meeting and more of a mini party. Even people who only held one percent of the stock invested in Sarota Entertainment were invited, and if they expressed any concerns Hojo needed to be ready to assure them and soothe their worries. It's a pretty big affair, but the end goal was more money invested in the company.

Not only was I making it public knowledge that I would be releasing an album, this was also the first year that Hojo would be slotted as the main speaker, the "master of ceremonies" so to speak. I've never seen my cousin more focused than this past week, his attention fully on preparing for any and all probabilities. At this point the only thing he hadn't planned for was a nuclear war, and even then I was almost certain that he would be able to handle it. The past few months Hojo had matured by leaps and bounds, leaving behind his party-boy mentality. I couldn't be prouder of him, and had all the confidence in the world that he would succeed beyond mine and my uncle's expectations.

The general plan for the meeting was much like any other year - our representative, traditionally the CEO or a member of the immediate family, would give a general overview of the new artists and upcoming joint projects with film producers, video game designers, and other entertainment companies. During the course of the speech, Hojo would announce that I would be joining Sarota's "family of artists" and then I would perform my song. We had toyed with the idea of allowing it to be broadcast on the radio, but decided to wait until after an official deal had been signed and a full length album could be made. But our shareholders should get excited by the song, and would appreciate the 'sneak peek', hopefully enough to get Manabu to bend to their will if I impressed them enough.

It might seem like an underhanded move, but this was one of the surest ways to guarantee that I would have a fair deal signed by next week at the very latest. Producers within our company did have a little leeway when it came to releasing singles without the explicit consent of the head of the A&R department, something that most other companies would never allow. But we trusted our producers enough to know when they had a good artist that was worth the investment, and when they should back out of a deal before it cost the company too much money.

Gorou was already a vetted producer in our company, so there wasn't any danger in us having overstepped our bounds. Uncle Sota was quietly overseeing the entire project, although he was giving Gorou and I creative freedom with the musical part of it. My uncle's part was more of a sound board to make sure that we weren't giving Manabu any chance of saying we broke a corporate by-law or rule. So far, we were in the clear.

"Tomorrow is the big day. How are you feeling?" Hojo sidled up beside me where I was overseeing the final touches to the stage that had been built on top of the Sarota building. Looking closely, I could see the dark circles under his eyes that showed the stress beginning to get to him. A closer look showed the slight droop in his shoulders, showing just how tired he was. But those who didn't know him as well as I did wouldn't be able to see these signs, so to anyone else he would appear to be business as usual.

"I'm feeling alright. It's not the first time I've thrown together a performance last minute, and it most likely will not be the last." Eyeing the chairs that had been set out for the share holders, I went through the steps I would be taking during my performance in my head. Our meeting would be held tomorrow after sundown, and a canopy would be set up just before the official start. I would be making my entrance at the start of the first chorus in my song, for dramatic effect of course. Tonight, after we were sure Manabu had left for the night I would be doing a quick run through of the song, just to make sure that everything was worked out properly. Seto and Mokuba would be joining us, but as it was a closed event they wouldn't be able to be here for the actual performance.

"True, but this is the first time that you're performing with the knowledge that you're actually going to have scheduled performances in the future. Have you decided when your first tour will be?" Hojo sat down and rubbed his neck, sighing quietly as he watched the workers setting up the stage lights.

Walking behind him I gently took hold of his shoulders, having him lean back in the chair and beginning to work out some of the knots I could feel in his muscles. "Not yet. Gorou wants to see how well received my first single is, and the accompanying album sales before we decide on tour dates. It probably won't be for a while, although I might schedule a few street performances in the near future." I thought for a moment as I continued to massage his shoulders. "Why do you ask? Trying to kick me out of the house already?"

"It's not that." Hojo said, giving my hand a half-hearted swat. "It's just... I'm not used to being away from you for long periods of time. The house will feel lonely without you in it, that's all."

I stopped massaging his shoulders and sat down beside him, reaching to turn his face towards mine. Studying his features, I could almost hear the unspoken words that he was keeping inside - he was afraid of being alone, of not having me right there to support him. Ever since I'd been adopted back into the family it had been Hojo and I against the world. We used one another as sound boards, we watched one another's backs, and we always made time for one another. He was truly my best friend in the world, and I am so very grateful to have him in my life.

"Hojo, it's not like I'll be leaving forever. I'll only be touring in Japan, so it probably won't last more than a month, maybe two tops. I'll only ever be a phone call away, and Gorou said that I can probably be back at home most nights, if Uncle Sota is alright with me using the family jet." Studying his face again, I could tell something else was bothering him. "Hojo, spit it out. What's the real reason that you're so worried about me going on a tour?"

Looking at me from the corner of his eye, he sighed. "Alright. I just... You know how the media likes to target celebrities. You've managed to stay under the radar up until now, but you won't be able to avoid it now. You're going to have to carefully choose your friends and associates, and I don't think you're fully prepared for that level of scrutiny. You've had dealings with the press in the past I know, but this is a completely different level; every tiny move, every statement, every interaction with anyone in view of the public and press will be looked at over again and again. Those vultures will be waiting for a juicy story, a scandal, anything to make a dollar off your name." Hojo looked away, sighing. "And some of your friends won't be looked at kindly."

"My friends? What's wrong with my friends?" I frowned as I tried to understand where he was coming from. The only friends I had, aside from him were Seto, Mokuba, and Mai.

"Look I like Mai, she's a pretty awesome lady. She's smart, she's a good duelist from what I understand, and you seem happier being able to hang around a female for once. But the media will tear her up one way and down the other. A wandering duelist who happens to have been staying at our house for almost three months? And don't even get me started on Kaiba. Mokuba will be fairly shielded because he's a minor, but Kaiba is bad publicity."

Those words caused my eyes to narrow. "Bad publicity? What are you talking about Hojo?" I could feel my blood pressure rising as my irritation grew.

"It's nothing personal, Reila. I know you and Kaiba have known each other for years, but there's already been rumors that you two are in a secret relationship. It's only going to get worse from here, and the media already love attacking him from every side. He's made too many enemies, and those enemies have already targeted you because of your association with him in case you've forgotten." Hojo held his hands up in a placating manor, but I could see the hardness in his eyes that told me he was completely serious. "I'm just saying maybe you shouldn't be quite so public with how close the two of you are, for your own sake."

Logically, I could see the reasoning behind his words. That still didn't stop me from being irritated with his point of view. "So I should just ignore the fact that Mokuba and Seto are such a large part of my life? Don't forget, before I came to live with you and Uncle Sota, Seto and Mokuba were the first real friends I had made in my life. I never had friends before them, and if the media wants to speculate and gossip, I don't care. I will never deny my affection for them, regardless of how the public might take that." I stood and took a deep breath to calm myself. "I know you mean well Hojo, but you don't have to shield me from the world. I'm a big girl, and I can handle myself. I've seen what celebrities go through from the media, and at this point if I were to suddenly change how I act around Seto and Mokuba it would only add fuel to the proverbial fire."

Hojo sighed and stood as well, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "If you really think you an handle it..."

"I do. If being kidnapped by Pegasus didn't scare me off from being friends with them, then nothing the media can say will scare me away either." The tone of my voice made it obvious that this discussion was closed, and Hojo only wearily nodded in acknowledgment. "Hojo, I know you're saying what you think is best, and although I can respect your opinion I don't agree with it."

Hojo grinned tiredly. "I know. I just... I felt that I had to say something, at least as a forewarning."

I gently nudged his shoulder with mine, letting him know that I wasn't mad at him as I heard my name being called behind me. Turning I spotted Mokuba running towards me, and smiled widely as I stooped down to hug him. Hojo's intentions were good, but it was time that he learned I could handle my own business just fine. If I needed him, I would let him know.

* * *

Seto eyed Hojo warily, unsure what the Sarota heir was trying to get at. He had caught the tail end of the conversation between Reila and her cousin, and hearing Reila defend their friendship so vehemently was... He couldn't find the words to describe it. He felt honored, not that he would ever admit to it. In retrospect he probably should be more appreciative of Reila's continued friendship, but she seemed to be a constant in his life, and he didn't feel obligated to put effort into keeping her there. She would always be there, and he couldn't imagine anything that would ever change that.

As Seto approached the small group that had gathered, he studied Reila closely. Her being so mopey yesterday had worried him a little, because it seemed that lately she was getting hit by one thing after another. She was handling it well though, minus their... Recent disagreement.

"Reila, why can't Seto and I come tomorrow to see your actual performance? You've always let us see your performances live." Mokuba turned his large puppy eyes to Reila, and Seto had to smother a smirk at the look on Reila's face. She looked like someone facing down a rabid grizzly bear, and knowing that she was going to lose. Still, she gave him a placating smile and smoothed his hair out of his face.

"Mokuba, this is a share holders meeting. Only those who have purchased stock in the company can attend. This is the one event where there are no exceptions, otherwise I would love for you and Seto to be here. But this one time I can't bend the rules for you two. I'm sorry Mokuba, I really am. And no, pouting will not change my mind." Reila stood and smiled playfully as Mokuba groaned.

"But... Oh alright." Mokuba finally conceded, but Seto could see that his younger brother wanted to press the issue more.

Standing back while Reila began speaking with her choreographer, Seto stood quietly and thought hard. He knew that this was a big step for Reila, and showing support for her was something that was an unspoken expectation in a friendship. She had been there to support him when he first dueled Yugi, although that had ended miserably. Still, she had stood by his side the entire time and helped him afterwards when he was at his lowest. Returning the favor would make them even in that aspect, and giving Mokuba a chance to see Reila's big reveal would make him happy beyond words.

Reila wasn't expecting it, and surprising Reila was always a pleasure. She rarely missed anything, and being able to 'pull the wool over her eyes' was always entertaining. And buying stock in Reila's company would be a good show of faith to her, letting her know that he trusted her with his investment. The media could spin it anyway they pleased, but he and Reila would know the truth - if he did become a share holder in the company, it was to show support for his friend.

Having settled on that thought, his mind turned again to the odd encounter he'd had at the museum before his plans for the Duelist Kingdom tournament had really began to take shape. Although he was confident he would be triumphant, there was a tiny voice in the back of his head questioning whether or not he should bring Mokuba and Reila with him. He mostly ignored the small voice, because he wanted them to be there when he was finally able to take back his previously held world champion title. But Ishizu's words still nagged at the back of his mind, enough to make him wonder if bringing the two people he cared most about along was a good idea. If there were forces beyond his understanding at work, putting Mokuba and Reila in danger again was not something that he could do. Yet the sensible part of his mind told him that Ishizu was just a paltry illusionist, that her 'visions' were elaborate parlor tricks and nothing more.

He hadn't mentioned the meeting to Reila, and although Mokuba knew he didn't know the full extent of what had occurred. It was in the past now, and with Obelisk the Tormentor in his deck, there was almost no chance of anyone beating him.

Then again, he'd thought that same thing in the past. Seto was trying to keep his ego in check, as Reila had pointed out on more than one occasion that he was prone to letting his ego get the better of him. But old habits die hard and all that nonsense. Still, he reasoned with himself that keeping Mokuba and Reila close would be the smartest thing he could do.

Returning his attention to the present, he pulled out his cellphone and made a short call to his broker. After confirming what he wanted, his broker made a series of phone calls that ended in Seto being the owner of five percent of Sarota Entertainment's stocks. Feeling accomplished, and knowing that Mokuba would be happy and Reila shocked, he spotted Sota Sarota making his way from the elevator doors. Moving quietly and leaving Mokuba watching Reila and the dancers that would be backing her up during the performance.

"Ah, Seto. Good to see you again." Sota greeted the younger man as he came to a stop beside him, never taking his eyes off Reila as she and the choreographer worked out her movements. Although she wouldn't be dancing, she would be walking in a theatrical sort of way, accentuated by fog machines and the movements of the dancers around her. "What do you think the reaction from the public will be?"

"She'll do fine. Reila wouldn't jeopardize her standing within your company on a 'maybe'." Seto crossed his arms over his chest as his eyes scanned the rooftop.

"You're right, of course." Sota shifted his weight, and turned slightly towards Seto while still keeping an eye on Reila's work. "I assume that phone call means I'm going to have to add two more names to the guest list for tomorrow night?"

Seto studied the man from the corner of his eye. "And what makes you think that I would be interested in this circus?" Seto could see the knowing look in Sota's eyes, but he wasn't sure exactly what the old man thought he knew.

"Because Reila is someone dear to you. And you know as well as I that you and your brother are dear to her." The head of the Sarota family waved his assistant over and gave her some new instructions before he continued speaking with Seto. "I will admit, I had my doubts at first when Reila reconnected with you and your brother - although you are a fearsome business man, I worried that you were too hostile to be a good friend for Reila. And then when she returned from that ordeal with Pegasus..." Seto eyed the man's hands warily as they clenched into fists and his jaw clenched. "I thought you had been the cause at first, as you'll recall. I was fully ready to dismantle Kaiba Corp. in retaliation for Reila being taken. But I misjudged you, and I do apologize for that."

Seto said nothing, just continued to watch Reila in the shadowy blue light that had been chosen for her performance. He had known all of this, he didn't see the need for Sota to bring it up all over again.

"My point to all of this is that I am happy that you and Reila have become as close as you have. It's good for her to have someone who can match her on an intellectual level, and she absolutely adores Mokuba." Sota turned to Seto fully, his face set in a serious expression. "Don't ever hurt her, or it will be war between us."

Seto's brow furrowed and he began to say something when Reila and Mokuba began heading their way. Deciding to leave Sota's bizarre warning alone for now, Seto waited patiently as Mokuba rattled on about how awesome Reila's song was.

"Really Mokuba, thank you. But don't forget, I only wrote the lyrics. There's much more to a good song than just the lyrics." Reila said, but still she seemed to be glowing with contentment.

It struck Seto then that this was one of the times that he'd seen Reila at her happiest. Music had always been a passion, a way of life for her. What had held her back for so many years? She could have already been a platinum artist at this point if she had let herself. What reasoning did she have for holding back her talent for so long?

It was a question he planned on answering one day.

* * *

 **A/N:** FINALLY. It's finally over and now we can move on from this chapter.

I am so, so, SO very sorry for the long delay. I've been getting hit left and right with one thing after another and writer's block reared it's ugly head on top of it all. Dealing with my best friend's wedding (which was beautiful and I'm so happy for her!), the death of the family dog, packing, selling furniture, flooding the internet with applications, working overtime to cover shifts at work... I've had a lot on my plate and although I tried to make time to write, it didn't always work out.

Anywho, quick update on things: Escrow closed on the house! My family and I will be officially back in our home state December 23rd. I honestly hate moving, especially around the holidays but this was really the only time we could do it. It's a little crazy, but we're all feeling a lot more chipper now that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.

Work sucks, we've had a lot of craptastic new policies and directives handed down that are making us all pretty much fed up. I would honestly be surprised if the company I currently work for manages to keep this contract after I'm gone. But for as long as I'm here I'm going to give it my best and try to not let little things get to me.

Thanks again for all your support, it means so much! I'm hoping that things are finally moving forward that I'll have an easier time writing. Worse comes to worse, if I can't find a job right away I should have more time to write! XD

~With love, Panda


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N** : So, lots happening. But I won't bore you with details now. I'll elaborate at the end if you're curious.

Thank you so, so much for your kind words and encouragement. It's really a wonderful thing to hear how people are enjoying the story, and seeing the reviews, favorites, and follows really motivates me to continue writing. So again, thank you so much.

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season! Quick shout-outs to **Counting Sinful Stars** , **animagirl** , **Zap97** , **Drachegirl14** , **Sky65** , **realisticFantasy** , **Delphine Pryde** , and **ChimericWings** for reviewing, and a big thank you to those who have followed and favorited the story. And now, on with the chapter!

The song featured in this chapter is _Castle_ by Halsey. There are two version of this song, the original from the _Badlands_ album and also the remake from _The Huntsman: Winter's War_ movie. I'm a fan of both versions, but I feel the _Badlands_ version best suits this chapter. I do not claim any ownership over the lyrics or music, and all rights belong to their respective parties.

 **Disclaimer: I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.**

* * *

Chapter 17

Sitting slumped in the back of the limo, Mokuba pouted slightly as he gazed out the window. Seto refused to tell him where they were going, only that he had needed to dress up nicely and be on his best behavior. He'd argued a little, saying that he didn't want to go anywhere since he couldn't go see Reila perform. But eventually he had to give in to his older brother's directions. He hadn't been able to see her at all today, since she had been busy with sound checks and a final costume fitting, on top of helping Hojo with the final preparations for everything else to do with the meeting. Mokuba still didn't see what the harm in allowing him and Seto to attend would be. Reila's friendship with the Kaiba brothers was well known, and having someone as well known as Seto there to show support for Reila could have helped a long way. Years of watching Seto had given him a little insight to how important a show of power was in the business world.

Not that Reila necessarily needed it. Mokuba was sure people would love her singing, and Sarota Entertainment would become even more powerful by having her as one of their star.

Still, it had taken Seto a good twenty minutes to get Mokuba to cave in. He hadn't wanted to go anywhere, because he hated having to pretend that he was enjoying himself. He didn't like going to corporate functions anymore than Seto did, but in the end he had given in because he loved his big brother enough not to fight him... Well, not to fight him too much anyways.

"Seto, why can't you tell me where we're going?" Mokuba shifted his gaze from the outside world to his older brother, still curious as to why Seto had changed his clothes. Recently he had gotten hold of a new white trench coat that he'd been wearing a lot. But tonight, he'd changed into more sedate clothing. Instead of the attention grabbing coat, he was wearing a navy business suit and black tie. Mokuba was wearing a suit as well, dark grey with a dark purple tie. He hadn't understood why they needed to dress up, but Seto had been firm on that part.

"I told you, it's a surprise." Seto said, pausing in his typing to briefly glance at Mokuba before returning to his work. Tomorrow was the final test for his new duel disk system, and if everything went well then by this time next month the Battle City Tournament would officially begin. Seto had been slammed with work, trying to keep Kaiba Corp. afloat in the midst of possible sabotage and losing five of his executive officers - their own fault, of course - and all the while pouring any spare time into the duel disk creation and planning out the tournament details.

"I don't like surprises." Mokuba mumbled, tugging his tie a little looser. Seto always tied them so tight, it felt like someone was trying to cut off his air supply. Turning back to the window, Mokuba frowned in confusion as he saw where they were. "Seto, isn't this..." His words were cut off as they pulled up outside the Sarota corporate building, his wide eyes going to Seto.

Seto had put his laptop away, flashing a small grin at Mokuba. "Come on. As the newest owner of three percent in Sarota's stock I don't want to miss out on the projections for the next year."

Feeling a wide grin form on his face, Mokuba felt his spirits brighten. He would get to see Reila's big reveal after all! "Thanks big brother, you're the best!"

* * *

"And you're absolutely sure that there's nothing I can do or say that will get you out of that outfit and into something not so revealing?"

Looking at Hojo in the mirror, I scowled. "It's not like I've never shown this much skin before. Besides, it covers more than that dress I wore at the white party."

"That's different. This is... What is this even?" Hojo asked, frowning even more as his eyes scanned my costume.

Sighing I ran a hand down the dark leather pants I was wearing. Really, Hojo was being overly dramatic - the outfit wasn't as revealing as he was making it out to be. I'd taken inspiration from the outfit that I'd worn in the virtual reality trip, but with a few changes. So here I was, in dark leather pants and boots with my hair pulled into a stylized mess of curls and braids. Some feathers and beading had been added in, to really hit on the 'warrior chieftainess' look. Instead of the top that I had worn in the game however, I had worked with a costume designer to craft a top that I was sure would have people talking for ages. We'd taken a leather pauldron, covered it with some light metal painted a silvery-gold, and taken royal blue feathers and layered them down from the strap of the pauldron to create a backless, feathered top. Thankfully it hadn't gotten too cold at night so far this season, otherwise this entire idea would have had to be scrapped. As it stood now, I was going to shock the crowd. In a good way, hopefully.

"Hojo, would you quit acting like some spinster aunt? I'm supposed to be fearless and bold, ready for war. That's the theme of my song, remember?" I had to speak without moving, because my stylist was putting the finishing touches on my warrior inspired make up. It reminded me a lot of the Kyoshi warrior makeup from _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ , it just didn't go all the way up to my eyebrows and was a deep blue instead of red. Also, I'd opted out of a complete face mask and instead focused on my eyes.

"All I'm saying is that I think you should let your song speak for itself; there's really no need to put in this much effort, especially since you're already known as a talented singer." Hojo said, scowling a little. "And yes, I'm acting like a spinster but it's only because I'm not used to my little cousin parading around dressed in something that's being held together by string and glue."

I rolled my eyes. "If you're questioning Ryuka's sewing abilities, best make sure she's not around - those scissors she uses could do some serious damage, especially to the parts of your body that you hold dear.."

Hojo didn't even rise to the joke, which told me that he was more stressed than he was letting on. "I'm serious Reila, I know that you're revamping your image but does it have to be so..." He gestured vaguely in my direction.

I sighed and thanked the stylist as she began packing up her things. "Hojo, this is a costume for my performance. Artists worldwide use costumes for performances, and wear normal clothes any other time. It's not like I'm going to be wearing this kind of thing all the time, I'm not that type of person." Sitting forward I reached out and took his hand. More and more I had seen Hojo getting worked up over the tiniest things, and most of them seemed to focused around me."Hojo, what's really bothering you? Every time I ask you what's wrong you deflect the question or bring up something completely unrelated."

Hojo sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Look, we'll... We'll talk about it later, alright? It's nothing serious, just me being stupid. Just... Break a leg out there, okay?"

It was as good an answer as I was going to get. Sighing and nodding I tilted my head to the side as Hojo placed a good luck kiss on my cheek before leaving me to finish preparing. Whatever it was that had him so worked up would have to wait. Right now, it was show time.

* * *

Seto felt some pride when he saw how hard Mokuba was trying to remain calm and not fidget. Springing this on him last minute might not have been the best thing to do to a kid his age, but Mokuba was more mature than other kids. His excitement at seeing Reila's performance was making it difficult for him to sit still, but he was doing an admirable job. Seto - and Reila as well - had been drilling the importance of appearance into Mokuba's head these past few months. Things that Seto had been trying to teach Mokuba that had half-way stuck into his younger brother's mind, Reila helped firmly cement. Seto was grateful for the help, although he suspected he would have succeeded eventually on his own. Reila just helped speed up the process.

Seto kept half an ear open to Hojo's speeches, but the other performers that were showcasing new songs didn't interest the eldest Kaiba. Seto was very particular when it came to what music he listened to, and artists like Yumi and a few of the other pop artists that SE had signed on didn't really interest him. Gorou Kimoto had a few songs that Seto found entertaining, but he wasn't a huge fan like some people. What Seto looked for was substance, and despite the immense talent there were few artists who really had the sound that Seto really appreciated.

Seto returned his attention to the stage as Hojo stepped into the center again, waiting for the applause to die down once again before continuing. Seto had to grudgingly admit that Hojo was doing a good job, able to pander to the shareholders in a way Seto would never dream of doing. The Sarota family spent much more time garnering approval than Seto himself did, but for them it worked. Whereas Seto had the ultimate say in his company, Sarota Entertainment gave a lot of emphasis to their board of directors and shareholders than Kaiba Corp. did. But again, for a company that owed its success to the public at large it was the best option. Seto's inventions and innovations were the backbone of the new Kaiba Corp., so it made sense that he had the most power within the corporation.

Seto and Mokuba had taken up a spot near the stage, wanting to have a clear view when Reila made her appearance. So far there hadn't been any mention of her, minus a few whispered conversation between other guests. From what Seto had overheard, a majority of them applauded her for her part in the dismantling of Royalty Records. But her absence was conspicuous, and those who didn't know the full plan for tonight would be in for a surprise.

"Seto Kaiba. Truth be told, I didn't expect to see you here tonight. The music industry is much different from the gaming industry." Seto turned to his left, seeing a man approach him from the huddle of Sarota's board members.

Women would find him attractive, Seto assumed. He was immaculately dressed in a well fitting black suit, and the way he carried himself made it apparent that this was a man who knew his worth. He had a slightly squared jaw, straight nose, and thick black hair pulled back into a small ponytail. Something about his features reminded Seto of the pictures one saw of emperors of the past, but he still had no clue who the man was.

"Allow me to introduce myself; I am Manabu Tanaka, head of Sarota Entertainment's A&R department." The man said with a slight bow.

The declaration gave Seto a moment's pause; from the way that Reila spoke of the man, Seto had expected the man to look like a weasel. But he seemed ordinary enough, and spoke evenly. Not at all with an evil sneer as Seto had imagined. It was… Possible that Reila's judgment was clouded. When it came to her family, anyone who spoke ill of them was by default bad. Reila could read people, but her prejudice might not let her see the reality; for the moment, Seto would remain impartial, until he could see what was really going on.

Manabu didn't seem to notice Seto's silence, or he didn't care as he continued speaking. "I must admit, I'm surprised that you're here. Inviting outsiders is almost unheard of at this event."

"I heard that you hardly ever attend the shareholders meeting." Seto said, trying to figure the man out. He spoke calmly, matter of factly. Nothing in Manabu's tone or body language showed any hint of knowing that something would happen tonight.

"It's true, I normally don't attend. My business is with the artists of the company, and I have little to no interaction with shareholders. But as our future CEO is the one leading the festivities tonight, I wanted to come and see how well he does." Manabu paused to take a drink as he listened to Hojo's speech. "He's doing well. Charismatic, well spoken, and a true showman - Sota has done a great job in raising him. Our future will be secure with him as the leader of this company."

"You have no aspirations to take over?" Seto asked, studying him closely.

"No, I don't. My talent lies in management and knowing an artist's worth. Hojo has been groomed since birth to take this position, and will have much more knowledge on the real expectations of a CEO than I have. Besides, Sarota Entertainment should always have a Sarota at it's head. Otherwise we would lose the popularity we have garnered as a family owned corporation, one of the few in our industry that can use that distinction." Manabu chuckled. "But enough about business. Tell me, what spurred you to be here tonight?"

"Sarota is a good investment. Since I've bought stock in this company, I want to know that my money is being used in a smart way." Seto said simply, noting that Mokuba had finally turned his attention to the conversation. Mokuba had a wary look on his face, as though he himself couldn't quite figure Manabu out. Given that Mokuba was firmly in the 'Reila can do no wrong' camp, it wasn't surprising that he was just as puzzled as Seto was.

From what Seto could see, Manabu was just a businessman. Not an evil, smarmy troll as they had been led to believe. But Reila had mentioned that he might have been involved in Royalty's theft, so his praise of the Sarota family had to be false; unless the clues hadn't really meant anything. Reila herself had said there wasn't any concrete evidence against him. But it was also possible that the information itself had been false, or so vague that any conclusion could be made. Still, Seto's eyes narrowed at the possibility that Manabu was as two faced as Reila said. Only time would tell.

Manabu nodded in response to Seto's statement. "Of course. I thought that perhaps you were here as guests of Reila, but I haven't seen her tonight. Perhaps she's keeping herself from the spotlight since she's receiving such negative publicity at the moment. A smart move on her part, if that is truly what she's doing."

Ah, there it was. Seto could see the slightest narrowing of the eyes, hear the slight tightness in his voice as he praised what he assumed was Reila's decision. It didn't appear to be outright malice, but there was definitely some negative emotion attached to his thoughts. But now Seto could see where Reila got the impression that Manabu hated her. And for nothing more than being born and looking like her father, a man Reila idolized. The idea of her being targeted based on a family resemblance to a man Manabu hated irritated him more than it should.

"Calling out a thief in such a spectacular way doesn't seem worthy of negative publicity. Your property was being taken, she found the culprits and brought them to justice. If it were me, I would have been much harsher in my treatment of them." Seto said sharply, watching Manabu's face closely for his reaction. Manabu seemed intelligent, but maybe his ego would get in the way of his common sense and get him to slip up. Reila had once tried to warn Seto of possible snakes in his company, so if he could get even a small amount of proof that there was one in Sarota, Seto would let her know.

"Perhaps you would have, and you as the CEO have that right. But Reila didn't tell anyone what she was doing, and in acting in such a way while using the company's name she opened us up to ridicule that could have been controlled had she thought more with her mind and not her emotions." Manabu's face had a small, sardonic smile. "Sadly, the Sarota women sometimes allow their emotions to rule them, rather than reason."

Before Seto could respond, the lights dimmed and the soft strains of music could be heard as the fog generators sprang to life, beginning to enclose the area in a blanket of white. Hojo, a single spotlight fixed on him grinned widely. Seto felt a smug grin form on his face, because he knew what was coming next. Manabu's reaction would be interesting, and telling.

"It is well known that Sarota Entertainment searches far and wide for talented artists to join our family. But sometimes, that very talent we've been searching for is right under our nose. For years now, shareholders and fellow artists alike have been asking for one of our own to step in from the sidelines and take her place as a true Sarota artist. And finally, she has agreed."

"What are they doing?" Manabu asked, more to himself. His brow furrowed as he studied Hojo intently, and Seto felt a jolt of amusement at the perplexed look on the man's face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is with no small amount of pride that I introduce our next upcoming artist! Taken under the wing of Gorou Kimoto as her producer, and with years of experience under her belt already, I give you the debut of one we all know and love. My dear cousin, Reila!"

The lights from the stage cut out, plunging the enclosed party area into murky, smoke filled light. Reila's voice could be heard over the speakers, but she couldn't be seen. The suspense and the mysterious atmosphere only heightened the experience of hearing the song for the first time, and the few facial expressions Seto could see from the surrounding guests were filled with awe. Manabu looked shell shocked, and Seto could only guess what thoughts were running through the man's head at having been so completely blindsided.

With a swell of music, the lights flared up as what he assumed was the chorus began. It wasn't enough to blind the audience; instead most of the light focused on Reila, making her way from the back of the crowd to the stage. Acrobats and dancers performed around her as she steadily walked to the stage, looking fierce and ready for battle.

" _I'm heading straight for the castle._

 _They want to make me their queen._

 _And there's an old man, sitting on the throne there_

 _Saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean._

 _I'm heading straight for the castle._

 _They've got the kingdom locked up._

 _And there's an old man, sitting on the throne there_

 _Saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut._

 _Straight for the castle."_

Seto himself was theatrical to a certain extent. But Reila made him look sedate in comparison at the moment. With her intense makeup, the way she walked with pride and grace rolled into one, and the daring feathered top she wore, it was clear to see she was playing for keeps. Glancing at Manabu, Seto recognized the calculating look in his eyes. Again there was no contempt, more like a man weighing his options to decide what was the best course of action to take.

Reila moved slowly, almost sensuously. Every movement calculated to present herself as an enigmatic, powerful creature - and it worked. The audience appeared captivated, almost ignoring the dancers in favor of the ethereal image that Reila had created for herself. She had the audience eating out of her hand, and she knew. Despite her reluctance to put herself in the spotlight, Reila was a born performer. She knew what people wanted to see, and she delivered it in spectacular fashion.

Seeing her like this, a proud warrior declaring war, was inspiring. As Seto watched her make the final steps to the stage, he was shocked by the amount of skin that she showed on her back. But her outfit made another statement asl - she was confident enough to leave her back unprotected, because she was observant and powerful enough to not be taken by surprise and struck from behind.

"I never thought I would live to see the day Reila took to the stage. Her mother preferred red, but I think blue will always be Reila's color." Manabu murmured, studying Reila intently. The look in his eyes sent a flash of anger through Seto, seeing the appreciation on Manabu's face.

Turning his eyes back to Reila as she finished her song, Seto did have to agree with Manabu- Reila wore blue well. It emphasized her pale skin, and the deep red of her curls. Reila wasn't attractive in the traditional sense - her eyes were wide, her form curvier than the traditional sense of beauty, her hair wild and unruly. But it suited her, all of it. Her features, even the eyes that she both loved and hated, were what made her Reila. To change anything about her would be to make her someone else. And Seto couldn't think of anything about her, even her temper, that he would change.

* * *

The feeling you get when you're standing on a stage receiving thundering applause… It's intoxicating, it really is. The bright stage lights make it almost impossible to see anyone in the audience, but the applause is almost palpable - like a warm blanket, or a thick and fluffy robe. It completely encloses you and feels so good, you never want it to end.

It can be addicting.

Hojo joined me as the applause doubled when I took my bow, and again when Hojo raised my hand in a triumphant pose. "Reila Sarota, ladies and gentlemen!" Hojo beamed with pride, and from the side of the stage I could see Uncle Sota with a look of fierce pride on his face as well. My heart swelled with gratitude towards them, because these two amazing men were part of the reason that I had gotten this far. Still, I knew that I had to leave the emotional part aside as I bowed again to the crowd, whose cheers and applause hadn't died down.

"Thank you everyone! I'm so thrilled that you are among the first to know that I'm taking the steps to become a true recording artist, and I apologize that I've made you all wait so long." The cheers turned into laughter at my cheeky joke. "I won't bore you all with details to why I waited so long. What I will say is that now that I'm taking this step, I will do my very best to represent this company as the paragon of highest quality that it is. By using new sounds, new techniques, and dedicating myself to this heart and soul I hope to make Sarota Entertainment a world famous name and cement our place as number one in the worldwide music industry!"

My declaration was met with another round of wild cheers, not just for me but for the idea that Sarota would be competing with names like Sony and Universal. We'd already cemented a foothold in the American music industry, but if we could tackle the European and the entirety of the Asian market as well…Just the thought of it was enough to send a shiver of anticipation down my spine, and widen my smile even more.

Bowing once more, I left the stage to give Hojo the spotlight back. Although it was addicting, I was more than willing to let Hojo take center stage. Tonight was really about him showing the shareholders how effectively he could run this company. My announcement was mainly to help give Hojo even more credibility - some shareholders would be sure to think that it was Hojo who convinced me in the end. For his reputation thought, I was would let them think that if they wanted. My main goal was to get under Manabu's skin, to back him into a corner so that he couldn't stop me from taking the department in the long run. And, while I was at it, maybe I could frustrate him to the point that he would slip up and make a mistake, so that I could finally get the proof that he had been trying to undermine my uncle and sell us out to Royalty Records.

My uncle was waiting for me in the wings of the stage. He wrapped me in a warm hug, which I happily returned. "Reila, I'm so proud of you. I think you might have stolen the show." Holding me at arm's length, he beamed proudly. "Although I think that a part of that is the elaborate costume you're wearing."

"I know, Hojo already voiced his displeasure at my design choice. But with a statement this bold, a bold image is needed as well." I moved to my uncle's side and we both watched as Hojo finished his speech. "He's doing so well, I've never been prouder of him."

"I couldn't ask for a better son, or a better niece. You two are truly the pride and joy of Sarota, both the company and our family." HIs praise meant the world to me, and I felt my spine straighten a little as his pride became infectious. "I must warn you Reila; Manabu is here tonight."

I turned my head to him quickly, feeling a pop in my neck and a scowl on my face. "He's here? He never attends these meetings, ever."

"I don't know what made him choose to come tonight, but I could see him from the wings. He looked genuinely surprised to see you perform tonight, so I don't think it was to try and stop you. Just be careful, without evidence we can't prove that he's involved in anything unsavory." My uncle said, beginning to applaud as Hojo took his final bow.

Clapping as well, I craned my neck to peer around the corner and sure enough, there was Manabu… Next to Seto and Mokuba. How did they get into the event? Seeing him near them made my hackles raise, because I didn't trust the snake to be anywhere near my friends. Especially not when I couldn't hear what was being said.

 _ **So, this is the one name Manabu. He does not have the look of an evil man about him. Are you sure that he is truly the one behind all your grievances?**_ Ydor's voice was contemplative, like he couldn't put the image of Manabu that I'd built and the reality together.

 _Don't let his looks fool you - Manabu has tried to undermine me every chance he's had. He's tried to diminish my role within the company almost from day one. He even went so far as to try and ban me from the company building, saying it was 'a courtesy to try and give me as normal a childhood as possible'. The truth is that he hates me for looking so much like my father and he can't let go of his obsession with my mother._ I watched him closely as he leaned in to speak with Seto, and again I was immediately on the defense. My friendship with the Kaiba brothers was no secret, so what was his angle? Was he trying to weaken our friendship to damage my reputation somehow? I rolled my eyes as Manabu's wife sidled up next to him, I really couldn't stand her.

 _ **What… I mean who is that?**_ I almost laughed aloud at Ydor's choice of words, and the disbelieving tone in his voice.

 _True, after being so obsessed with my mother it's hard to believe that Manabu would settle to marry someone like her. That's his wife, Tashika Tanaka. There are rumors that he married her only because she was pregnant with his child out of wedlock… The child passed of an illness as a toddler and they never had any others. She's from a family of no importance or standing, and I still do not know what he saw in her, or why he stays with her._

Truth be told, it's a little insulting that after "loving" my mother so much he would downgrade so drastically. Tashika isn't an ugly woman, but she's far from beautiful. Much shorter even than me, she had trouble maintaining a healthy weight. She always seemed to carry an extra 9-13 kilograms in weight; roughly 20-30 pounds in the American metric system. But a big chunk of her weight had to be from her chest. By the gods she gave Mai a run for her money in the excessive cleavage department. A woman who once had aspirations to be a voice actress, after the death of her child she had taken to living a lavish life of poor style. Her clothes were always too tight and too garish, her hair seemed permanently damaged from the number of times she colored it, and her choice of friends was questionable. Still, every time I spoke to her she was pleasant enough, and even funny in a low brow sort of way. But mostly she was annoying.

Rumors persisted that theirs was an unhappy marriage, but the two of them still stayed together for reasons that were beyond me. Even now, although he appeared smiling and warm there was an edge to his smile that showed Manabu's unhappiness at her appearance. Her red silk dress was a little too tight and showed far too much cleavage for a woman her age, but those of us who knew her wouldn't be fazed by that at all. And her appearing at her husband's side wasn't that unheard of, especially when it was a star studded event like this.

"Ah, I see Tashika has also joined the festivities… If I could find a way to bar that woman from this building I would. She's never learned how to behave with any form of tact." Uncle Sota had a small frown on his face as Hojo came to join us, following our line of sight.

"Oh gah who let the hag in? Is it too much to ask that she fall off a cliff or something?" Hojo said, grimacing as Tashika's raspy laugh echoed towards us.

"As long as she doesn't light up a cigarette in that ridiculous holder she insists on using. What other women can use in a classy way just seems so out of place in her hands." I said, as Hojo and I shared a laugh. The last time she'd smoked a cigarette in one of those fancy holders she'd almost set Yumi's hair on fire. "Speaking of, I should probably warn Yumi that Tashika is here."

"Hush now, both of you. You've both made an outstanding impression on the shareholders, don't ruin it by making inappropriate comments about others." Uncle Sota said quickly as the lights slowly brightened. "Now I want the two of you to go out and mingle, and show these people that their trust in us is not misplaced."

Hojo and I nodded our understanding and made our way from behind the stage, finding ourselves immediately swamped by shareholders and directors from the company, congratulating us and asking a slew of questions. We answered them to the best of our abilities, making people laugh and feel connected with the company even more than they had been before. For almost twenty minutes we were barely able to move, before finally the crowd thinned out enough for us to go our separate ways. I practically made a beeline for Seto and Mokuba, the later immediately latching onto my waist in a fierce hug.

"Reila! You were amazing! I mean I've seen you perform before but tonight was the best that I've ever seen from you!" Mokuba's face was shining with pride and admiration. I smiled back widely, bending down to give his cheek a tender kiss.

"Thank you Mokuba. But how on earth did you manage to get in? There's a very strict guest list to this event." I said, smoothing some hairs out of his face.

Mokuba's smile widened, if that were possible. "Seto bought some stock in Sarota Entertainment last night, so we were able to get in on the guest list!"

Mokuba's announcement honestly took me by surprise, and I turned to look at Seto as he walked over to us. He had a small grin on his face, one barely noticeable unless you knew what you were looking for. Stepping forward, he ruffled Mokuba's hair that I had just smoothed down. My scowl didn't seem to faze him one bit, but instead seemed to amuse him even more.

"Mokuba would have never forgiven me if I didn't get him in here to see you perform." He said simply.

"Of course. Still, I'm glad to see the two of you. And thank you Seto." I smiled at him, because I could see that there was pride in his eyes. Pride from Seto Kaiba, directed at you… It's potentially more addicting than the applause of an audience. It warmed me even more than the stage lights had.

"Reila Sarota. I must admit, you did well tonight." The new voice intruding in the conversation caused my spine to stiffen slightly, something that Mokuba picked up on from the concerned look he sent up at me.

Turning I kept a pleasant smile on my face, even though I wanted nothing more than to snarl at him. "Manabu, how wonderful to see you here! It's been so long since we've seen you at a shareholders event."

Manabu merely nodded, and before he could say anymore he was interrupted by his wife, Tashika.

"Oh Reila, it was so wonderful to see you perform! Why on earth have you been keeping all your talent to yourself? It's selfish to not let people hear your wonderful voice." Tashika simpered, and something about her voice seemed… False is the only way to describe it. But her wide smile didn't match the tone, so I brushed the concern off as unimportant.

"Why thank you Tashika. It's wonderful to see you again as well. Have you been keeping busy?" I subtly moved Mokuba behind me, and Seto stepped closer as well. Glancing at him, I could see how he narrowed his eyes when he looked at Tashika - he didn't like her.

I knew from personal experience that Tashika could be a little manipulative, but she'd never intentionally hurt anyone or gone any further than using people to get ahead in life. But she wasn't that good at it, because she wasn't able to keep her intentions hidden for long. She was always inevitably found out, because she didn't have the ability to cover her tracks nearly as well as she thought she was. And whenever she was caught, she threw a fit that would make even the most insolent toddler raise their eyebrow in disbelief.

"Oh yes, I've been having the most marvelous time working with a new charity organization. You really should visit me sometime, I'm sure that your reputation will only help strengthen our cause." Tashika said, clutching Manabu's arm. Manabu, for his part, looked… It was hard to describe. Almost like he was barely tolerating Tashika's presence… Or maybe it was my own he was barely tolerating. It was hard to tell when he wasn't looking at either one of us.

To be honest, I didn't want to help Tashika at all. But I had to be tactful in my refusal. "I would love to, but I'm afraid that I'm going to be fairly busy for the next few months, if not the next year. I agreed to help Seto with his new tournament, and then after that I'll be devoting every free minute to getting my album ready for release. Plus I'm sure that I'll be called on by my uncle to help with something or another. If I had the time I'd love to help, but…"

"Of course Reila. Your dedication to your family and friends is admirable." Manabu said, cutting off Tashika's reply. "If I may be frank, I'm surprised that you would take this step. Katsumi always said that she wouldn't wish that kind of life for her children, especially given the demand and stress that comes with it."

"I spoke in depth with my uncle before making my final decision, and we decided that my parents would understand my decision. My father and mother both encouraged my love of music, and I'm sure that both of them would be proud of my decision." Purposely mentioning my father caused Manabu's eye to twitch, something that I took immense pleasure from.

Manabu nodded. "Of course. You and your uncle would know best what your parents would have wanted. Still, I'll admit I wish that you had spoken to me before this announcement. I know that we've had our differences, but I believe your decision is in the best interest of the company and will only serve to further cement us at the top of the industry. An official announcement will overshadow your recent bad publicity, and your uncle was quite eloquent when he addressed the board earlier today. He said that it was you who came up with the plan to integrate some of Royalty's former employees into Sarota to prevent too bad of a public backlash. I must say that I'm impressed by your plan."

I couldn't tell if he was being sincere, or if he was being facetious. "Things were so chaotic getting this song prepared that I barely had a spare moment. If I had been able to spare a moment I would have spoken with you, but I just couldn't fit it into the beyond tight schedule."

"Perhaps in the future you can make the time, instead of blindsiding him as you did. After all, you two work for the same company, so everyone should be working together!" Tashika said, with a wide smile. "It's rather rude to leave the head of your A&R department out of decisions like this! Though I have to say I'm impressed you managed to wrangle Gorou into being your producer. How on earth did you manage that? Some kind of… Side agreement?"

Tashika's implication made me grimace. I wasn't above using my looks to get my way when it could be done innocently, but I would never lower myself to using my body like that. "Gorou was more than happy to help me, given how close he is to my cousin and uncle. And I look forward to learning even more from him in the future."

There was a calculating gleam in Takashi's eyes that I almost missed, but it made me wary. Chancing a glance at Manabu, he looked irritated as his gaze was focused on his wife. Maybe there was more between them then I was aware of? But speculating about their personal life wouldn't do me any good.

Manabu and Takashi said their goodbyes and left us to mingle with the others as the party was beginning to wind down. I stuck with Mokuba and Seto, occasionally stepping away to say hello to a shareholder or executive officer for the company. It felt good to be back where I was in control and knew the playing field - Seto may be able to dominate both the dueling field and the business world, but when it came to duel monsters I was a fish out of water. Here though I was in my element, and loved every minute of it.

As the guests began to head back down to their cars, Seto approached with a tired looking Mokuba. "Reila, I need you to come to my office tomorrow. I'm doing the final test of my Duel Disc system, and the official announcement for the tournament will be tomorrow. Is everything ready on your end?"

I nodded slowly. "I'll need at least a week to finalize everything with the mayor and city council, but announcing beforehand is a good idea. Did you…"

"Yes, I sent an invitation for Mai Valentine to your house. She should receive it tomorrow, and I expect that you haven't given her any insight into the tournament that she shouldn't have." Seto said, crossing his arms over his chest.

Ah, so he was slipping back into I-will-win-at-all-costs mode. I really hated when he acted high and mighty like this, but maybe I could keep it from getting too out of hand. Rolling my eyes, I let my face show my irritation with him. "The only thing I mentioned was hearing whispers of a tournament coming up and that you might be involved in it. I haven't given her any more information then that."

Seto seemed ready to say something, but paused a moment before nodding. "Alright. Be at my office by four tomorrow afternoon. After the final test I'll announce the tournament, and then I'll finally be able to take back my title of best duelist in the world."

"Of course Seto." Giving Mokuba a final kiss I waved to them both as they headed to the elevator, a little troubled. I wanted to be fully supportive of Seto, but knowing what was going to happen made it hard to give him the support I should be when I knew that he would ultimately be beaten.

Sometimes, I wondered if my having knowledge of what was to come was really a good thing. Because there were times that I felt like a fake friend. And if Seto ever found out that I had knowledge of what the future held and didn't tell him…

I don't think he'd ever forgive me.

* * *

 **Second A/N** : So, I know that this is kind of a short chapter, but I had to finish up this round of filler before we can move on and focus on the next arc... BATTLE CITY.

I am so excited to get this arc going it's not even funny. I have such plans! :D

So, brief update for those who are interested in the life of Panda: My family and I are officially moved back to our home state and have settled in. I still haven't found a job, and I'm starting to get pretty worried about that but I'm doing my best to keep my spirits up. My writing kind of suffered from my getting low, but I'm going to keep pressing on and look at the bright side so yeah. There's that.

I want to thank everyone again for their patience and understanding. It really means a lot that there are people who although we haven't met, are sending me encouragement. Thank you so much, and give yourself a big hug from me because you're awesome!

Some people have asked about my deviantart account, however I haven't been keeping up on it lately. Sorry about that, I just haven't really taken the time to update the chapters on that account. But I think I will be soon, so if you're interested there's that. A few months ago I took the time to "build" Reila using an anime doll maker that I found online, so if you're curious about a visual for our heroine there's that. It's not exactly how I imagine her, because the art styles are different and it was limited with colors and hair styles. But I feel it's pretty close.

Thanks again everyone, you all rock my socks off!

~Panda


	18. Chapter 18

A/N: *rubs hands together eagerly* YASSSSSS. Finally onto Duelist Kingdom, which in my writer's mind is when things will start to get really good. I'm so excited for this! To be perfectly honest, this part is the part I have been looking forward to the most. So my dear readers, keep your arms and hands inside the fic at all times, strap in tight and hopefully I'll get this roller coaster swooping and soaring!

Things are going to be slowly coming together, and I know a lot of you like to speculate. So I'd just like to take a moment to make it clear - I will not be giving spoilers if you message me. As Crowley said, "I torture all my friends. It's how I show love." I would apologize but… I think it's good for readers to be kept on the edge of their seats ;)

Shout-outs to the following reviewers: Drachegirl14, animagirl, Counting Sinful Stars, ChimericWings, She-wolf-Dragon, and xFluffyx you guys all rock! And those of you who started following and favorited, I really appreciate it! Everyone give yourself a big hug from me to you, because you're all amazing people.

So I know that I have been absent for a while, and I do apologize for that. I was hired on into a new job in February, and it's been… Well I have had a hard time adjusting to not having set days off. Some weeks I don't even have two days off in a row, so trying to get my housework and stuff done all in one day… It's a little exhausting. So I thank you all for your continued patience and support. Hopefully, now that I'm out of my 90-day probationary period at work things will calm down.

Another reason for my absence? Panda messed up. I mean really messed up, to the point that I was panicking wondering what I was going to do. See, although I adore the YGO show and manga… Well I never quite got into actually playing the card game. And as I was watching ahead in the show mapping out where things were going - BOOM. Realization that Reila is going to have to duel hit me. So I've been teaching myself how to duel using the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Links game. Admittedly I'm not the best duelist. I'm way better at Magic the Gathering where I have instant spells to mess with people's strategies. So for all those who I told that Reila would not be dueling… Yeah sorry, I didn't intentionally lie I promise! But I beg your indulgence now because my writing of duels will probably not be that great.

And now, onto the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. This fic is written purely for entertainment purposes only.

* * *

Chapter 18

Crossing my arms over my chest, I huffed a breath and blew a curl out of my face. "Ydor, I'm telling you that I AM trying! It's not my fault that this isn't coming as easily as everything else!"

Standing on the sand inside my subconscious, I glared up into Ydor's eyes. Well, singular eye - his head was too large for me to look into both of his eyes this close. We'd been making good progress with building my tolerance to magic, and my ability to sense and interpret the emotions within it were stronger than ever, but I was still having problems wielding it. We'd been trying for almost a week now, but I hadn't made any progress. Add onto this stress the fact that I still didn't have a set plan on how to protect Mokuba, Mai, and Seto from Marik and I was ready to pull my hair out in frustration.

Or sell my shoe collection for a solution. That thought alone showed just how much stress I was feeling.

Ydor's eyes - again assuming it's both - narrowed. "You are not trying as hard as you could be. You are allowing the outside world to cloud your mind and displace your focus. I have told you time and again - you must clear your mind when you are wielding the magic of another. Empty your thoughts and block your emotions, or else your emotions and the emotions inherent within my magic will clash and the magic will cancel out. You must become like pure water - clear and transparent, free of any debris."

"You've told me this already! Look I've tried meditating and I've tried all those breathing techniques you showed me, I unlocked my chakras like you said, and I even created a mental map linking each chakra to my hands but nothing works! I have two lifetimes worth of memories and emotions, it's not exactly easy to suddenly flip them off!" I sat down heavily on the sand, refusing to meet Ydor's gaze. "It's one thing to act like I'm not feeling any emotions, it's another entirely to actually turn them off. Truthfully I am a very emotional person, I just don't always show it."

Ydor's head slowly lowered so that his eye was level with my body. "I know young one, and your emotions and your ability to recognize the emotions of others are a great strength for you. However in this one instance, you must learn to block them."

I ignored Ydor for a moment as I fought to get my frustration in check. The longer we wasted at this roadblock, the less time we would have for me to become proficient at it. I had to get this down today. Seto had asked me to come for his final test, meaning that I would be confronted with Obelisk the Tormentor - and if the presence of normal Duel Monster's cards had bothered me at Duelist Kingdom, I'm pretty sure an Egyptian God will knock me flat on my face. If I could just learn to channel Ydor's magic, I might be able to use his magic as a buffer and not make Seto and Mokuba wonder why I had such a hard time being around during duels.

"Let's try again. I mean I have to eventually get it, or get lucky at least once." I said, standing and wiping sand off my pants.

"No young one, I think we will stop here for today. You are growing frustrated and your focus is not where it should be. Tomorrow we will -"

"No! We're trying again!" I said, stamping a foot down. "The tournament will be announced tomorrow, meaning that we have less than two weeks to get this down before Marik shows up! If I can't do this without struggling by then, Mai, Mokuba, and Seto will be in danger! I have to be able to protect my friends, or everything that I've done will be for nothing! Now stop making excuses and let's try again!"

Ydor roared in frustration - I've grown used to it by now, I don't even flinch anymore when he really lets loose with his voice - and dove under the water as I widened my stance, bracing myself for the rush of magic.

Ydor's head surged out of the waves, mouth open as his voice seemed to layer; one part roar, the other part full of the melodious trilling I'd come to associate with his magic. Closing my eyes, I focused on the trilling, trying to grasp onto it and pull it within myself. That was how Ydor had explained I could bring his magic into me, by harmonizing. Although harmonizing was a lot harder than it sounds when I wasn't singing.

Grinding my teeth together, I could feel the flow of his magic around me, but I couldn't grab onto it. The only way to protect my friends was to get this down pat, and I couldn't even do this one simple thing! Frustration began to build within me, and I had to split my concentration to try and block it while still focusing on-

Wait.

With my eyes closed, I could suddenly… See the magic around me, like a wave of technicolor threads. So many different colors, each a distinct shade and brightness. Blues, golds, reds, greens... But the brightest one of them glowed a deep purple, and I could feel Ydor's frustration radiating from it just as strongly as my frustration was radiating within me.

"Harmonize… You weren't speaking in musical terms. You were talking about emotions! Harmonizing emotions!" I almost laughed, but cut myself off when I sensed the strength of the thread diminishing. Holding onto my frustration, I reached out with my magical sense and grabbed hold of the dark purple aura, pulling it into myself to coil in my stomach, right around the solar plexus chakra - where one's will and power were supposed to originate from.

Opening my eyes, I smiled at Ydor, who had a dragon version of a toothy grin on his face. Turning to the right I pulled on the magic again, channeling it from my solar plexus to my arm and letting it out with a flash of brilliant blue light. It raced across the sand, hitting a dune that Ydor had created when we first started and exploding into a shower of sparks that reminded me of light reflecting on the water.

Breathing hard, I couldn't get the wide smile off my face. "I did it! I actually did it!"

"Yes young one, you have finally done it. By sensing the emotions within the magic and finding the ones that match your own, you can pull the magic into you." Ydor returned to the beach, shaking the water off his sapphire scales. "I apologize for not giving you the entire explanation, however this is something that you had to learn on your own. I was sure that you would discover it eventually, you merely needed the right incentive."

"And frustrating me with my own incompetence was the route you chose? Honestly sometimes I think you've got more faith in me then I do in myself." I said, shaking my head. "Your power… That wasn't even the full extent of it, was it?"

"No. You are still not ready to receive the full extent of my power, what you just experienced was roughly a third of my full power. Slowly but surely you are strengthening yourself to the point where even my full strength can be wielded by you without a second thought. But do not worry about the inability to use my full power - I doubt that this Marik is strong enough to withstand the level you are able to wield now."

I crossed my arms and aimed a serious look at Ydor. "Don't underestimate Marik. He's crafty, and the dark side that he harbors within himself is nothing to mess around with. I'll make sure to set aside time every morning for us to practice, because I'd rather be able to wield at least half your power by the time the finals are here."

Ydor sighed. "You give this Egyptian boy far too much credit."

"On the contrary, I plan for any and all eventualities." I said, looking out over the horizon. "I need to be able to cancel out Marik's magic in the event that he tries to send one of my friends to the Shadow Realm."

"So long as you yourself do not end up within the Shadow Realm. You have not heeded my advice, and now it is too late." Thrusting his chin, he gestured to the temple that still stood proudly on the sand, the same one I'd spent so long avoiding. "The inner turmoil that you have continually shut away and refused to deal with is a danger to you, young one. Your stalling could potentially be deadly to you."

"Look, I think between your magic and my planning abilities I can avoid the Shadow Realm. I won't even be around Marik until the finals, and by then the two of us together should be able to keep him from banishing my soul. I'm good at subtlety, so as long as he doesn't know that I'm the one interfering with him there won't be any chance of him targeting me."

"For your sake, I hope you are right. Still, I would feel better knowing that there was no chance of you suffering needlessly." Ydor said, lowering his snout and nudging my arm affectionately.

I reached up and gave him a soft pat. "I'll be fine Ydor. My little adventure in the virtual reality world and the whole Royalty Records fiasco taught me the importance of thinking before acting, so I'm confident that I'll be alright. The finer details of what is supposed to happen might be fading, but I still know the major points to avoid or stop. I only wish I'd been able to find Noah and get rid of him before this tournament."

"I know that you were intent on sparing the Kaiba brothers that particular ordeal, but there must be a reason for them to confront that part of their past." Ydor said, laying down beside me.

"I suppose a part of it could be considered character building, but already I'm seeing a difference in Seto. Though he hides the changes in him well, I can tell that he's learning to trust others a little more." I said, looking up at the blue sky. "I mean yeah it's only if you really know him, and it's really only me that he's trusting… But it's a start. I'm just worried that the tournament will put him right back where he was before."

"The elder brother is an intriguing person. Forgive my scepticism, but I believe your assessment is correct. He is a remarkably driven young man, and his desire to be the best could potentially undermine your hard work in helping him."

I sighed as I gave Ydor another pat. "Thanks for the pep talk you big lug. But if that's the case then I'll just have to work a little harder. I may not be able to erase the scars that Gozaburo gave him, but I can still soothe them and take away some of their intensity… I hope." Stretching my arms over my head I smiled as my back popped. "Alright, I need to get going. I have to get ready to go to Seto's so I can see his triumphant final test. Joy."

Ydor laughed. "I will see you tomorrow young one."

* * *

Coming out of my trance - well that's what I call it anyway - I stretched again, sighing as I looked around my room. The truth is, I wasn't telling Ydor everything - he may be able to view my memories of the original story line, but I knew that I might have to get a lot more involved in this then I really wanted to.

Ydor himself had said that by learning to wield magic I would paint a target on myself. The minute that Marik sensed a threat to him or his plans, he would be sure to come at whoever it was with everything he had. Plus I was already planning on interfering with him banishing Mai's soul, if it came to it. There was no way I was letting a friend of mine go through that ordeal, not if I had the means to stop it.

I was still undecided just how much else I was going to interfere though. A part of me wanted to spare a lot of the people the fate of being sent to the Shadow Realm, even temporarily. Or even better, to avoid many of them being turned into mind slaves. Tea and Joey were two that I knew would eventually fall under Marik's control, but could I actually save them while not letting it be known that I could protect them against him? And how much would it cost for me to protect them, save Mai, and keep Mokuba and Seto safe?

No, better to stick to my original plan and only worry about Mai's, Mokuba's, and Seto's safety. Aside from them and my family, I couldn't waste time worrying about the fate of the world. So long as those special to me were safe the rest of the world could rely on Yugi and the spirit of the puzzle for their protection. I had enough on my plate and I wasn't going to break my back trying to do it all alone.

Nodding my head resolutely, I got off my bed and wandered to my closet. I was currently wearing jeans and a loose sweater, but figured since there was a chance of people seeing me I should change into something a little more business casual. It was steadily becoming common knowledge that my first studio album would be coming in the near future, and already I was seeing an increase of paparazzi following me.

Looking through my clothes and trying to find something appropriate, I heard a knock on my door. Calling for whoever it was to enter, I wasn't too surprised when Hojo poked his head into the open closet door. "What's up little cousin?"

"Just trying to find something to wear. I'm supposed to go see Seto's final test on his new dueling hardware, and on the off chance that I get followed by some paparazzi I want to be in something a little nicer than jeans and an oversized sweater." I turned and gave a quick wink. "You know, since I have to be more concerned with my appearance now."

"So you're changing your clothes for the paparazzi." Hojo said, and I could hear an undertone of disbelief in his voice. Glancing over at him quickly I saw that he was purposefully avoiding looking at me. Briefly frowning I ignored it and went back to hunting through my closet, finally settling on a pair of grey slacks and a fairly simple off the shoulder cream top with blue patterned birds on it. I figured if I pulled my hair back from my face and put on a little makeup it would look like I'd come from the office rather than making a special trip into town.

Grabbing a nude pair of pumps I laid out the clothes before sitting at my vanity and began putting on my basic makeup routine - a basic tinted moisturizer, a little powder to minimize shine, simple eyeliner and a brush of mascara. I don't go overboard on a day to day basis, and big bold looks were saved for big events.

"I don't see what was wrong with what you were wearing before. What's the point in getting dolled up for Kaiba anyway?" Hojo said, sitting down heavily in my armchair. "I mean you're acting like you're going on a date, not taking time out of your hectic schedule to satisfy his ego."

I paused in pinning my hair out of my face to study him in the mirror. What was with him lately? "I'm not getting dolled up for Seto - I'm making myself presentable to the people who will be seeing me. We have images to uphold, and since news has already broken that my record contract has been signed I'm under even more scrutiny than I was before. You yourself said so just a few days ago, remember?"

Hojo gave a vague wave of his hand. "Right right. Forget I said anything."

As if I could forget. Lately he'd been a lot more hostile to Seto then he had before, and I couldn't for the life of me understand why. Still glancing at his reflection in the mirror I continued getting ready. "Seriously Hojo, what is your deal? It seems like every time I mention Seto you suddenly develop some nasty attitude. When did you start having a problem with him?"

Hojo was silent, his gaze fixated on a picture of me and my parents. Finally, he broke the silence. "Just leave it alone Reila. I might be wrong, and if I am then I don't want to put ideas in your head."

Hojo's statement confused me, and I turned to push further but his look silenced me. Hojo was being serious, and there was a look in his eyes that said he was done talking about it. Shrugging I decided to leave it alone - again. But one of these days he was going to have to explain himself.

Finishing up with my makeup, I hesitated before adding a little lipstick - nothing flashy, just a little darker than my natural color. I headed into my bathroom to change before adding a little perfume as well - might as well finish off everything if I had gone through this much hassle. Besides, I love the smell of Siren's Call.

Entering the room again, I saw Hojo was still there and looking lost in thought. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?"

Hojo looked up and nodded, although I was sure there was still something bothering him. But I know my cousin, and he won't budge an inch when it comes to talking when he didn't want to. I grabbed my purse and bent down to kiss his cheek before heading out, pausing in the doorway. "One of these days Hojo you're going to have to talk to me about what's bothering you."

"I keep hoping that we won't have to have that talk." Hojo said cryptically, and it bothered me that he was being so evasive. Hojo was my best friend, and knowing he was keeping something from me hurt.

Why do I have to have such stubborn men in my life?

* * *

Seto looked up from his laptop as his office door opened and Reila sauntered in. Glancing at the clock, he realized that it was already 5:30, exactly when he'd asked her to be here. Her punctuality helped to ease the tension that was building in his shoulders - if this test didn't go perfectly he'd have to push back the tournament even longer. He wanted his title back and the longer it took him to defeat Yugi, the more it irritated him.

Saving his progress on the report he'd been working on, he stood and nodded his greeting to Reila, studying her outfit. It wasn't unflattering, but… "You're looking rather subdued, compared to the last time I saw you."

Reila rolled her eyes. "As if I would wear a costume all the time. Business casual is a quick answer to a lot of situations" She gestured to the white coat he wore. "Although I think you're upstaging me in the pizzazz department. Seriously where did you get that coat?"

"Custom made." He said, grabbing his final duel disc prototype and leading her to the elevator. The soft music streaming through the speakers made the ride comfortably quiet, and Seto spent the ride going through last minute calculations and contingency plans. Reila for her part left him to his thoughts, and Seto was again grateful for the fact that she never pestered him to speak. She could read his moods almost as well as Mokuba could, and she knew when to keep quiet.

The doors opened to reveal Mokuba guiding the developers through last minute systems checks. Spotting the two of them his eyes lit up. "Big brother! Reila! You're right on time. They're just doing last minute checks now."

Seto stepped to the control panel to view the results of the system checks while Mokuba and Reila said hello. Everything looked in order, and if all went according to plan he would announce the start date of the tournament tomorrow night. Already the duel discs had been packaged and loaded into trucks - as soon as he gave the go ahead they would be delivered to the check-in points that he'd rented and he would be that much closer to his ultimate victory. But if something went wrong he'd have to start over from scratch. And given that he had already sent out the notices to the chosen duelists he was taking a huge gamble; but he was confident in his abilities and products.

"I'm going down." Seto said, heading to the elevator again and leaving Mokuba and Reila in the control room. Before he entered though he bent down and gave one final directive to one of the workers. "Turn off all safeguards. I want a true test, not a watered down version."

The man was smart enough not to question Seto, who then made his way to the testing area. As he took his place, he looked up and saw Reila and one of the technicians in what looked like a serious conversation that had her irritated, judging from the frown on Reila's face. Taking the headset off the tech's head she looked down to where he stood as she spoke into the microphone.

"Seto Kaiba, are you serious? You took off all the safeguards?"

Mokuba chimed in, and Seto momentarily regretted having them here to witness the final test. "You're crazy if you go through with this Seto! If the safeguards are turned off, the monsters in this duel could really hurt you."

"Are you kidding me? This is one of the most harebrained ideas you've ever had Seto! Why not have someone else do the final test so that you're not putting yourself in danger… Again." Reila crossed her arms as she stared down at him, but Seto could hear the twinge of fear in her voice.

"Enough whining. Let's go." He said, placing the duel disc on his arm and watching as it lit up and reformed from it's prone position to the battle position. He'd designed this hardware from the ground up, and he would be the one to test it. No one would take this from him, the thrill of seeing his vision take shape and work flawlessly. He had to be sure the satellite tracking system was working perfectly, for his hardware relied heavily upon the system's design. Not to mention it would give him real time updates if someone used one of the two remaining Egyptian god cards, and this test was the perfect time to test just how powerful Obelisk the Tormentor truly was.

He couldn't leave something this critical up to someone else, for he alone knew the theoretical perfect scenario.

Shaking off memories of Ishizu's fantasy story about ancient powers and Yugi being some reincarnated pharaoh, Seto watched as the duel robot booted up and began loading the new tournament rules. The only thing Ishizu had gotten right during her little vacation from reality was that he would face Yugi again, and with a powerful new deck there was no way that he would be defeated again.

* * *

"Setting skill level at max - we're ready to begin at your command." The technician to Mokuba's left spoke, having taken his headset back from Reila, who stood close to Mokuba with her arms crossed. Her eyes were fixated on Seto, and Mokuba could see a glint of fear in them. Mokuba felt the same way; he couldn't stand the thought of Seto being harmed over a test. But Reila looked like she had been on edge from the moment they'd stepped into the control room, and Mokuba was worried. The last time she'd been around for a duel, she had been Pegasus's captive, and now the young Kaiba wasn't entirely sure she had recovered from it.

"Seto, are you sure you want to go through with this?" Mokuba asked, trying his best to keep any hint of apprehension out of his voice. But he was sure it rang through regardless, because he felt Reila give his shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"Keep the medics on standby, probability of injury ninety percent." Another technician said, and Mokuba ground his teeth together. How could the people who worked for him not care about Seto's well-being?

Mokuba turned to tell him off, but stopped when he saw Reila had already grabbed the man's coat and pulled him towards her sharply. "Why don't you take the time to realize that's your boss you're talking about and act like you care about him, instead of treating him like a statistic you imbecile?" Her voice was low and cold, and the man was visibly shaken by her sudden hostility.

"Ms. Sarota I'm just doing my job. Since the duel robot has been loaded with the same deck that Mr. Kaiba used in Duelist Kingdom, the probability of injury is high." The man said, regaining his composure and pulling Reila's hand off his lab coat.

Mokuba let out a soft gasp. "You put all three Blue Eyes in the duel robot's deck?" Those three cards were Seto's most powerful combination, and without the safeguards… No wonder the medics were on standby. If the duel robot managed to create the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, Seto wasn't going to walk away from an attack like that unscathed.

"Right, those were Mr. Kaiba's direct orders." The man said, and Mokuba saw a twinge of sympathy in the man's eyes.

"Seto you better know what you're doing, because if you get hurt I'll kill you." Reila said, glaring at the screens in front of her. "Of all the arrogant, pig headed ideas…"

Reila's rant almost got a laugh out of Mokuba, but instead the young boy turned his attention to Seto as his older brother loaded his new deck into the duel disc. Mokuba tried to remind himself that the probability of the robot being able to summon all three Blue Eyes and fuse them were pretty high. But given that the Ultimate Dragon was Seto's trump card, that deck was built around getting it onto the field quickly.

Mokuba pulled the microphone away from his mouth and turned to Reila. "Seto knows what he's doing." He wasn't sure if he said it to assure her, or to assure himself. Either way Reila nodded silently, brushing a comforting hand through Mokuba's hair as the two of them watched the duel begin.

* * *

I did my best to keep my composure and remain calm, but inwardly I was freaking out - with every turn, I was coming closer to confronting the magical energy of an Egyptian god card for the first time. And with all these witnesses around, it would be hard to explain why I was reacting so strongly to it. Ydor was silent, and I was pretty sure he was using this as a test to see how strong my resistance was. If I couldn't stand one Egyptian god… Well I knew that duels would come in the future where two or more of them would be on the field at the same time. I had to keep any indication that it was affecting me quiet and out of sight from everyone.

In hindsight, I really should have come up with an excuse to avoid this.

As Seto summoned his first monster, I felt a little relieved that it wasn't affecting me like the monsters had the first time I witnessed Seto duel. Although in his next turn when four monsters were summoned, I could feel the heaviness in the air ramp up a couple of notches. But still I was able to harmonize with them much quicker than I thought I would, given how low their power was.

But it was when the robot summoned the first Blue Eyes that things got intense. I'd forgotten just how powerful the magic surrounding a Blue Eyes was, and it weighed heavily on me. Because I'd become better at reading magic, I could feel… Pain and loneliness emanating from it. But beneath that was an iron will and a desire to protect, a shimmering aqua thread that was the strongest of them all. Reaching out and harmonizing it with my own desire to protect Seto, Mokuba, and Mai, the pressure lessened until it felt like sunlight on my skin.

You are doing well young one. Remember, harmonizing with the magic will lessen the effects on you. Ydor's voice was soothing, and I could hear pride in it as well.

Taking a deep breath, I kept watching as more creatures were summoned and destroyed. The less powerful monsters barely registered now that I'd harmonized with the Blue Eyes, something that gave me a lot of comfort. Even when the other two Blue Eyes were summoned and fused into the Ultimate Dragon, I was able to harmonize with it quicker than the first one by focusing on the desire to protect. I was concentrating so heavily on the magic in the air, I was barely paying attention to anything around me, even though I could hear Mokuba shouting. I saw from the corner of my eye that Mokuba was giving me a concerned look, but I couldn't think of anything to tell him at the moment. I was too busy gearing up for the inevitable-

Suddenly the warm magic of the Blue Eyes was replaced with the presence of Obelisk the Tormentor.

It felt like bolts of electricity were racing painfully up and down my spine, and the emotions… So much fury, with no direction to it. Rolling, thundering aggression flooded my senses, jagged lines of harsh red nearly blinding my magical senses, and I barely stifled a cry as it battered me. I could hear the shakiness of my breath as I took an involuntary step back, my eyes wide as I took in Obelisk's form.

"Reila, what's wrong?" I felt Mokuba tugging at my wrist gently, but I could only glance at him momentarily before I closed my eyes tight, struggling to keep myself from collapsing as the weight of Obelisk's magic crashed down on my shoulders. If the Blue Eyes had been sunlight, Obelisk felt like an avalanche - swift, powerful, and deadly. And as Seto sacrificed his two other monsters to power up Obelisk even more, it became too much for me to bear.

REILA!

Ydor roaring my name was the last thing I heard as unconsciousness took me.

* * *

Seto laughed triumphantly as the duel disc and duel robot powered down. Obelisk was even more powerful than he had realized, and his confidence in being able to take Yugi down had never been higher. With this ultimate weapon in his deck, there was no way that he could lose. And when he got the other two God cards in his possession, there would be no one who could stand against him. Stowing his new deck away, he froze as he finally heard what was coming through his earpiece.

"Get a medic in here now!"

"She's not responding! Did anyone see if she hit her head?!"

"REILA!"

Mokuba's fearful cry sent a jolt of fear down Seto's spine as he raced to the stairs, not wanting to wait for the elevator. Bursting into the control room, the smoke from the fried computers stung at his eyes but he ignored it as he moved quickly to Reila's side. Mokuba was on the floor with her, cradling her head in his lap as he kept her head tilted to ensure her airway wasn't blocked.

"What happened?" Seto reached out and placed his fingers against her neck - he could feel her pulse strongly, even it was a little faster than he thought was normal. Studying her face he noticed it was paler, and her eyes were flickering beneath her lids rapidly, like someone caught in a dream.

"I don't know! She seemed fine when the duel started, but as it progressed she got shaky and pale. And then just before the final turn she suddenly collapsed!" Mokuba looked panicked, and Seto frowned as he took in the information. "Could… Could she be having flashbacks to Duelist Kingdom?"

Seto didn't answer, because he didn't want to think about that. Reila had been present for his duel against Pegasus, when the old coot had convinced him that his soul had been taken - but Reila was too intelligent to believe that sort of thing. He had been dazed by the defeat and the thought of being unable to help Mokuba… There had to have been some sort of chemical agent involved that had immobilized him and left him unconscious. That explained what had happened, not some fantastical story about his soul being taken. Reila couldn't have been affected by it so badly, could she? No, she would have dealt with it long before now if she had. She was probably just sick, a stomach bug or something along those lines. Maybe the smoke from the computers had affected her badly.

Taking off his duel disc and handing it to Mokuba, he scooped Reila into his arms and moved her to the hallway where there wasn't any smoke in the air. He made sure to jostle her as little as possible, and set her against the wall. The light was brighter here, not filtered through the residual smoke and he saw that the color was slowly returning to her face. Still she hadn't woken up, and he was beginning to worry that she was associating Duel Monsters with that maniac Pegasus and all that mystical mumbo jumbo. As the medics arrived, he snapped his head towards them. "Is this how long it takes for you to respond to an emergency when you're on standby?"

The medics took a step back at the harshness of his words, but before he could snap at them again he felt a small hand settle softly on his. "Seto, I'm alright. Please stop shouting, you're not helping the headache."

"Reila!" Mokuba softened his cry of relief as he knelt beside her, hugging her gently. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"My ego is bruised, and a minor headache but other than that I'm fine." Reila finally opened her eyes, and Seto studied them closely - there was some pain, and a flicker of fear but she seemed alright. The medics tried to approach again but Seto froze them in his tracks with a glare.

"Seto stop scaring your employees, it's bad business sense."

Seto turned his focus back to her, his gaze sharp. "What happened?"

"A dizzy spell." She said firmly, and Seto was tempted to push the matter further; but considering what had happened the last time he pushed her, he decided to let it go for the time being.

"Will you be able to make it through the tournament or not?" If Reila couldn't make it through one duel, then there was no way she would be able to handle the finals. And he couldn't afford to have his time and energy split by worrying about her when winning the tournament was his main focus.

* * *

Gah, I really hate Seto when he's in dueling 'I-have-to-win-at-all-costs' mode. It's a major test of my patience with him. "I'll be fine Seto." I said more firmly as I slowly made my way to my feet.

Ydor had pulled me into the safe haven between consciousness and unconsciousness where we met to practice magic just in time to prevent me from fully passing out, but I still hadn't been able to know what was going on around me. Thought from the looks of things I hadn't been out of it for very long, and I could play it off easily enough.

Looking down at Mokuba, the worry in his eyes made me feel bad. "Sorry for scaring you, it was just a dizziness spell. I should have sat down when it started but I'm fine now."

"Reila that was more than a dizzy spell. You could barely breath and your eyes got so big, and you were so pale…" Mokuba hugged my waist tightly. "I was really worried."

"Ms. Sarota, from the looks of things and the symptoms Mr. Kaiba is describing, it's possible you suffered an anxiety attack. If you'll allow it, we'd like to take you to the medical wing for a quick evaluation." One of the medics stepped forward, edging away from Seto's penetrating gaze.

"I appreciate the concern but I'll be fine. I feel much better now, and would rather not waste time with pointless worry." I said, stroking Mokuba's hair as he hugged a little tighter.

"With all due respect Ms. Sarota, it would be better if-"

"She said she's fine. You're dismissed." Seto cut the man off, and although I appreciated the man's concern I appreciated Seto's interference more. The less time spent focusing on this the better. I was already ashamed to appear so weak, and knowing that I wasn't strong enough to handle the presence of an Egyptian God card was disturbing.

Those beasts are more powerful than I gave them credit for. It appears that I have underestimated the Egyptians - we will increase the intensity of your training to ensure this will not happen again. Are you prepared to take on a tougher training regiment?

I have to be - I can pass it off one time as a fluke, but if it continues then there will be questions that I'm not sure either one of us are ready to answer. Seto's eyes caught my gaze, and I could see the tiniest hint of concern in their depths. I might be able to play this one off as having a flashback to Duelist Kingdom, but that will only make me appear weak in their eyes. And if I appear weak in their eyes, they will act protective and draw more attention to me.

I care not for how he views you, I only care if you can survive another encounter like this one. Perhaps it would be best for you to not accompany the boy and instead stay home and focus on your training.

That isn't an option Ydor and you know it. I'm not leaving them alone to face Marik and Noah without me. Besides, if I'm not there Mai will be sent to the Shadow Realm, and that means that Dartz will be able to brainwash her into thinking she's alone. I have to save her in order to weaken him.

Ydor grumbled beneath his breath but faded back so I could focus on the present. "I'm sorry I missed the end of your duel - I take it everything went well?"

Seto nodded, bending down to grab his duel disc and place it back on his arm. "Let's eat, then go over the plans for the announcement of the tournament."

I nodded and the three of us made our way back to his office, Mokuba holding my hand tightly and Seto walking on the other side of me. But rather than be angry at the obvious protectiveness, I was kind of touched - Mokuba was open in his worry about my well-being, but I could tell Seto was concerned too from the way he stayed close to my other side. Even if he did have to walk much slower to match my smaller steps.

* * *

I sighed and pulled deep from my patience reserve. "Seriously Mokuba, I'll be alright. I appreciate the concern but I'm not a fragile doll. If I didn't feel up to it I'd let you know."

Mokuba put his hands on his hips and gave me a look that was far too mature for his age. All through dinner he'd been watching me like a hawk and asking me every five minutes if I felt alright. I didn't want to snap at him but the hovering was driving me crazy. I had half expected him to cut my meat for me - it was embarrassing to have someone younger than me trying to take care of me.

"Mokuba, seriously. I'll say it one last time - I. Am. Fine." I said firmly, placing my own hands on my hips to mimic him. My actions managed to get a smile that he tried to hide.

Mokuba sighed dramatically in the end. "Fine, but the first sign of you not feeling well you'd better get yourself to a doctor right away, do I make myself clear? Don't make me call your uncle to keep an eye on you."

I rubbed my temples and looked to Seto, but the look in his eyes told me plainly that he completely agreed with Mokuba. "Alright, you mother hens. I'll tell you if I don't feel well, I promise."

Mokuba walked up and held his pinky out at me. "Pinky swear it, and if you don't keep your promise then you'll have to pay the consequences."

I shook my head but smiled as I wrapped my pinky around his. "Alright, pinky swear. I should have never told you about pinky swears, you're cruel to use them against me."

"I just worry about you Reila. You push yourself as hard as Seto does, and the two of you drive me crazy by not taking care of yourselves." Mokuba released my pinky and hopped into the limo waiting to take him and Seto home. I held my hands up in surrender as I turned to my own car where Seto stood waiting.

I reached out to grab the handle, but Seto's hand caught mine before it could make contact with the metal. Looking up at him I could see that his face was set in a serious expression, probably fine tuning what he would say.

Seto gave my hand a light squeeze, something that caught me off guard. "Mokuba's right - stop pushing yourself so hard. It would look bad if one of the tournament committee became ill."

I felt a blush creeping up my face and fought it down, clearing my throat. "I told you both I'll be fine. I wouldn't dream of letting myself get sick this close to the tournament."

Seto nodded, releasing my hand and letting me climb into the waiting car. This is exactly why I hadn't wanted to appear weak - now I would have to deal with the two of them acting like I was some weak little damsel. I know the concern came from a good place, but I was the one who was really worried - this tournament would be the most dangerous event we'd faced, and so many things could go wrong. I almost envied them the bliss of ignorance.

* * *

When I got home, Mai greeted me with an envelope in one hand, a letter in the other, and a grin on her face. "So you really weren't kidding that a big tournament was coming, were you? And here I was beginning to think that you were leading me on just to get me to stick around longer."

I shook my head while smiling. "As much as I adore your company Mai, I would never lie to keep you pinned down somewhere. I didn't know the exact date because it depended on how quickly Seto could finish up a secret project. Otherwise I would have just invited you back a few days beforehand, if you had somewhere else to be."

"Hey you've given me free food, a free room, and transportation to and from a few minor tournaments. A girl could get used to this kind of life." Mai said, winking and putting the letter down on the table in the foyer. "So will you be participating in this tournament?"

"Strictly on the board, public relations and all that. Seto's not exactly the easiest person to get along with and the city officials appreciated meetings with me more." I said, kicking off my pumps. "Did you honestly expect me, a complete novice to be invited to this tournament?"

"Well, after I found this…" Mai reached into her back pocket and pulled out a deck box, one that Mokuba had given me. I groaned as I recognized the design - it was a deck that Mokuba had let me build from his spare cards in an attempt to teach me how to play the game.

It's not that I'm a terrible duelist - in fact I did alright playing trading card games in my first life. But that game, although similar to Duel Monsters, was fundamentally different in the sense that you weren't really held to a restricted turn phase. I mean sure you had your standard turn - untap, upkeep, draw, pre-combat, combat, and post-combat. But the ability to use spells and traps at any given time was what really gave me an edge, plus in casual games there wasn't really a limit to the amount of monsters, spells, or traps you had on the field. Duel Monsters… It's constricting, and I found the constriction hard to work around.

"So, Reila has been dabbling in dueling. I hope you don't mind but I looked at your deck and… Well it could use some work." Mai said, motioning for me to follow her. I groaned and slowly followed, not looking forward to another run around the same tired track of why I don't do so well with this particular game.

Sitting down in the living room Mai took out my deck, beginning to separate the cards into three piles - monsters, traps, and spells. I frowned as I realized that my monster pile was pretty close in size to my trap pile. I hadn't noticed that little tidbit before. Even from my MTG days I knew that having such an even spread led to a big problem. If you didn't balance your cards just right you could end up monster-screwed.

"You do realize that you have almost the same amount of traps and monsters? I take it you find that there are times you can;t draw a monster to save your life." Mai said, gesturing to the piles.

"I'm less of an attacker and more of a reactionary player." I said, frowning.

"That's fine, and it can work - if you use the right cards. Why not focus less on traps..." Mai began taking cards away from the pile, and pulled out a case I knew she kept spare cards in. She shuffled through them, adding a card to my monster pile every few that she flipped through, "and focus on monster effects? It's like having a trap and monster in one if you use them right."

I… Hadn't thought of that. Granted I didn't put much thought into dueling to begin with, but I should have thought of monster effects right from the beginning. I almost always used a monster's abilities to my advantage in my past life, whether it be to keep my monsters out of range or free from the threat of spells being used against them. I wanted to smack myself for being so narrow minded.

"I… How on earth did I not think of that? Mokuba even explained them to me but I…"

"Easy mistake. It takes a skilled duelist to be able to use monster effects well enough to use them in place of traps. But, given that you're a genius and already used to planning seventy steps in advance, I doubt you'll have too much difficulty with it." Mai pulled her cards out from the pile and put them back in her own case. "Tell you what, tomorrow before the announcement I can take you out and help you get some more cards to strengthen your deck. Then I can use you as a guinea pig to test out my new deck."

I made a face. "I knew there was a method to your kindness." Mai just laughed as she handed me back my deck. "But that sounds fine with me. Seto wanted me on the ground tomorrow anyway to help with his announcement, so I'll just go with you to the meeting spot."

"It's a date then." Mai said, winking as she left the room, my laughter following her out.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Hello dear readers! Thank you all so much for your kind words on the last chapter, I'm not proud of that chapter and will most likely rewrite it in the future. But for now focusing on the new chapters!

Oh, and I forgot to mention in the last note… Panda has made her YouTube debut! (Sort of, technically there was another video up already but we won't count that one) My dear friend Sereni the Undead has a YouTube account under the name "Neko" (if you search for 'Nekobit' her page will pop up) and the two of us shot a Try Not To Sing Challenge video. Go check it out if you want to see us acting like complete music loving dorks, and also check out her other videos while you're there!

Shameless plugs are shameless.

Anyway as always a huge shout out to those of you who reviewed: _Counting Sinful Stars_ , _Drachegirl14_ , _Lightsbane1905_ , and _Like Stars in the Sky_. You guys are the best! And also big hugs to those who favorited and follow the fic. It makes me smile everytime to see it :)

I would also like to add that I know in the show Seto did his final test seemingly the same night he made his big announcement for the tournament, but the timing seemed off to me. So I took a small amount of creative liberty and deemed that part of the episode a kind of 'flashback' to the night before or something like that. It makes more sense in my mind that even though Seto can be very arrogant and think everything he produces is flawless, he would give himself at least one day's notice to make sure everything works properly with a completely new system and hardware. I like to think of it as Reila's influence rubbing off on him a little.

Also, please be patient with my attempts to describe duels - as I mentioned before, I only recently started learning how to play Yu-Gi-Oh! So I am by no means an expert, and if I get something wrong in the rules or if the cards are newer than Battle City I apologize in advance. I'm basing almost all of my knowledge on Duel Links.

Disclaimer: The song mentioned in this chapter is _Vanilla_ performed by Gackt. I claim no ownership over this song, all rights belong to the respective parties.

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. This fic is written purely for entertainment purposes only.**

* * *

Chapter 19

The day after discovering that Egyptian God cards and I do not mix, I woke up earlier than usual to get in some extra training with Ydor. I had progressed to the point where I didn't need Ydor's help going to my mental safe place, it took me less than a minute to relax and let my consciousness slip out of reality and onto the glittering white sand. But this morning Ydor wasn't there to greet me as usual, which left me puzzled. I knew that during times when we weren't communicating he slipped deeper into my subconscious, so maybe he hadn't felt my presence yet. Huffing out a frustrated breath I started to sit on the sand and wait, but stopped as I glanced down the shoreline.

That damn temple was still there, even if I wished it would go away. Ydor said that my inner turmoil was locked away within it, and I didn't understand his sense of urgency in dealing with it. I didn't see how some small lingering grief could hurt me in the long run; people deal with grief all the time. It was a part of life, learning to deal with the loss of those we cared for. I mean sure I had also had to cope with the grief of losing my old life on top of my parents in this world but I had overcome it pretty efficiently in my opinion.

Scowling I started walking towards the temple, intent on taking a peek inside. One little look at this supposed danger couldn't hurt, could it?

I stopped about fifty yards from the entrance, trying to see inside. Now that I was closer I could see that the walls themselves weren't pure white, but the sun had probably bleached the stones that it was 'built' from. I could still see light streaks of soft gray laced throughout the walls, giving it a subtle marbled effect that you could only see once you were closer. Despite the bright sunshine that I was standing in, the inside of the building appeared almost pitch black, looking less like a shadowy interior and more like a black void. Anything past the initial columns supporting the roof was indiscernible, but a heavy presence weighed on my shoulders when I gazed into it. It was different than the presence of magic, and something about it was familiar but I couldn't place it exactly.

I took another three steps before my spine stiffened and I froze as a faint image flickered into existence. I had to stifle a gasp as the image grew stronger, until I was face to face with an image of my late father - Marcus Castille, smiling gently at me.

"Daddy…" The word slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. There was no way that he could be here, not like this. A memory I could understand but this wasn't a memory. I don't ever remember him having such a sad smile on his face.

"My pretty little genius. I've missed you Reila, missed you so much." He reached out a hand to brush my cheek, but it felt more like a warm breeze instead of an actual touch. "How you've grown. I've been watching over you and I'm so proud of you."

I took a step back, shaking my head slowly. "You're not real. You're just a figment of my imagination, or some kind of vision brought on by lingering grief, or…"

The sad smile on the image's face brightened and widened just a bit. "Always so logical. If it makes you feel better to think that way then by all means do so my girl." I watched him intently as he stepped to my side, looking out over the waves. I didn't trust this… Vision, not at all.

"I never meant to leave you and your mother that way, Reila. I had every intention of staying with you both for as long as I could, for us to have a long life together. Your mother and I had even thought about having another child, since you seemed so lonely at times. You never really fit in with the neighboring children, and we thought a little brother or sister would be good for you, to have a companion."

That was news to me. I don't ever remember my parents talking about trying for another child, but then again they had been typical parents and had kept some conversations away from me. Turning so I stood next to him, I didn't say anything as I was still wary of the entire situation.

"Reila, I know you've had a hard time since your mother and I passed away and I'm sorry for it. Maybe it would have been better all those years ago to give up Katsumi and let her live the life she'd been groomed for. But we were happy, so I thought it was alright that I had been selfish and taken her away from her cold world."

"Mom… She never once complained." I don't know why I was trying to comfort him. Maybe it was because he looked like my father, or maybe it was the bittersweet smile on his face. Either way I felt like I should reassure him. It was a little hard to justify, and I was having a hard time concentrating on anything but him. "She never said she wished for anything other than you still being alive. As for me… Well there are worse lives to live. And I was happy when we were all together."

"You were? I'm glad. You've always seemed so much older than you really are. Even now, look at you. You act like a thirty year old woman instead of a young seventeen year old girl. Always pushing yourself, always striving to prove yourself, like you had something to prove to someone." The figure… My father bent and picked up a handful of sand, letting it trail through his fingers slowly as he stood up again. "But you never had to prove anything to me, your mother, or anyone else. Your mother and I loved you from the very first moment we laid eyes on you. You were so perfect, and always have been in my eyes."

"I… I wasn't trying to prove anything or gain anyone's approval. I just never want to give anyone power over my life. I will be master of my own fate, and in order to keep control over my own life I have to stay ten steps ahead." I crossed my arms over my chest and looked out over the waves. "I've always known that I would have to accel in order to achieve my goal."

"Even when you were a young child, you felt that way? Is that really true?" My father tossed away the rest of the sand, and turned to look at me.

Again I hesitated, unsure of just how much I could tell this vision of my father. On one hand, if he really was just a part of my subconscious there was no harm in telling him how I really felt. On the other hand, if he really was the spirit of my father… Part of me wanted to tell him my real reasons. A part of me wanted to throw myself in his arms and beg his forgiveness for keeping so many secrets from him, for not telling him who I really am.

I can't stand liars, and in my book withholding the truth is just as bad. I justify my doing it by saying that it's for the better good, but it still didn't feel right keeping so much from my family and friends. Every time someone calls me a genius I want to tell them that I'm really not, I just have more collective life experience than most do. All the times that someone's praised me for being able to spot talent a part of me wants to tell them it's because I know what way the music industry is going already. Sometimes I feel like an imposter in my own life, because I know that in reality I shouldn't even exist in this world. And my continued presence here, the continued lies and keeping the truth from everyone is so exhausting at times…

" _Young one! Step away from him!_ " Ydor shot out of the ocean, sending a blast of magic infused water at my father. The image of him shattered into smoky fragments which swirled back into the depths of the temple, a resounding crash of doors slamming following shortly after.

"Ydor! How could you do that to my…" I trailed off as the heavy feeling lifted off my shoulders. The entire time I had been talking to the vision I hadn't even felt it slowly trying to press me to my knees, hadn't noticed that my mind had slowly been growing foggier. Now I was able to think clearly and blinked. "What… What just happened?"

" _That was not your father. That was your own self doubt manifesting in a physical form to try and drag you down, to steal away your confidence and with it your ability to wield magic._ " Ydor said, shaking water off his scales as he snorted. " _You do not have the time to properly deal with the negative emotions that you have sealed away within yourself, I have told you this before. You must stay away from such negativity if you are to survive your encounters with that mad Egyptian boy. In the future, do not go near that temple. Once this trial is over we shall discuss purging yourself of this and other turmoils you have thus far refused to deal with. But for the time being, we concentrate on training so you will survive_ "

"R-Right." I said, still a little shaken up by the vision of my father. Why had my self doubt manifested as a vision of him? Shaking my head to clear it more, I followed Ydor away from the temple and pushed the questions from my mind. And if I heard another door slamming from the depths of the temple, I ignored it.

* * *

After training had ended, I showered and went downstairs to meet up with Mai. She'd ditched the leather jacket she once favored for a more summery outfit since the weather was heating up - that is she replaced the jacket with a sleeveless vest and started wearing a crop top underneath with long glove arm-warmer things. I can't say I blame her, and she pulled the outfit off beautifully. I was a little more sedate in a pair of high waisted black shorts and a white button up shirt. I'd swapped my usual pumps for wedges and rolled up the sleeves of the shirt to give it a more casual look, and included a few bracelets and a long necklace for fun.

"Reila do you own anything that isn't business casual?" Mai asked, scanning my outfit.

"Now that you mention it… No not really. I have a handful of jeans and sweaters, maybe a t-shirt or two but probably 85% of my clothes can be worn to a business meeting." I said, frowning as I thought about it. "It's kind of my style by this point."

Mai shrugged as we headed out to the car. "Whatever floats your boat hun. At least you make it look good and not stuffy. So, you've got your deck right?"

I nodded and pulled the deck box out of my purse. "I still don't see the need to do this, I mean it's not like I plan on dueling in the near future. Or at all, for that matter. I'm more of a bystander you know?"

"Look, you're part of this new tournament that Kaiba's throwing, right? So you should at least have a deck that gives you half a chance of winning. We talked a little about it last night but what do you feel is your strength when dueling?" Mai asked as we climbed into the backseat of the car.

"I guess I tend to duel the same way I take down a rival corporation; set a trap and wait for it to blow up in their face, then attack them with everything I've got. And if I can set counter traps or counterspells even better." I said, flipping through my cards. "That or just completely overrun them with powerful monsters. Whatever fits the situation."

"Alright like I said last night, I think effect monsters are going to be your best bet. That way you get the magic you're looking for while still being able to defend and attack. Plus you won't clog up your deck with just traps and spells like it is now." Mai said, leaning over to take another look at my cards. I almost giggled at her comment about magic, given that I was training to wield magic. But I was able to stamp down the urge.

"Well of the two of us you're the expert so I'll defer to your judgment." I said, grinning. I really enjoyed spending time with Mai, she was closer to my mental age and once you got past the tough as nails attitude she really was a kind hearted person. A part of me felt bad for not warning her about the danger to come, but even with Mai being as open minded as I knew her to be, I couldn't risk her not believing me and putting herself in more danger.

We stopped to have a late brunch before making our way to the card shop. With Mai's advice I was able to build a deck that seemed suited to me. Whereas Mai prefered her Harpies and Amazons, I drifted more towards spellcasters and fairy types. Mai seemed a little hesitant to let me add one card into my deck though.

"Are you sure you'll be able to pull off a ritual summon? I mean Divine Grace - Northwemko could be a powerful addition to your deck but if you don't use it correctly…"

"Mai, if I didn't think I could handle it I wouldn't… You know what that's not true. I would put it in there just because it's freaking awesome." I said, sighing. "I have to have at least one mega high powered monster, right?"

"Not necessarily, but if you do want a high powered monster… What about this one?" Mai asked, pointing to Cosmos Queen.

I thought it over and eventually nodded. "Yeah I think that might be a better choice. Wait, didn't I see a Double Coston around here somewhere? I could use him to summon Cosmo Queen without having to sacrifice anymore monsters… Right?"

"And you say you don't know anything about Duel Monsters. That's actually a very smart plan Reila, but you'll have to guard your Double Coston well if you summon it too early. Just keep that in mind." Mai said, gathering up the cards and handing them to me.

"Thanks for all your help Mai, it's nice to have someone talk to me about this in a way I can understand. Seto gets frustrated too quickly to really teach me and Mokuba hasn't learned how to teach without bombarding someone with unnecessary information." I said, paying for the cards and leading us out of the shop.

"No problem Reila. Someone had to teach you eventually, and this way I can rub it in Kaiba's face that I was able to teach you and he couldn't." Mai glanced at her watch. "Hey, I have to go meet up with an old acquaintance in a few… Want to meet up for the big reveal later?"

"Sure. I didn't really have anything else planned today, why don't you take the car and I'll head over to the Sarota building and catch a ride from there. And don't argue with me about it, I've already made up my mind for you to take the car." I said, cutting off her protest.

"One of these days Reila you're going to let me win an argument." Mai said, but there was a smile on her face. Mai didn't like to admit how much she appreciated the kindness I showed her, and I didn't like making a big deal out of it either. I waved off her sarcasm and turned to head to the building once she was out of sight, almost running straight into Tea who dropped her purse in surprise.

"Oh, Reila! Sorry about that." Tea said, flustered as she bent down to pick up her purse.

"Don't apologize, I was the one not paying attention." I said, stooping down to help her gather her things. Straightening up I glanced over at Yugi - well, the spirit. It was weird how I could tell which was which, because despite the anime showing them being so drastically different in reality there wasn't any physical difference between the two.

I think the animators exaggerated the features of Yugi and the spirit to make it easier to distinguish in the show who was who. In reality Yugi really was fairly short, although I didn't have a lot of room to talk. Truthfully he was just a little shorter than me, probably around 153cm (that's about five foot even) and there was no suddenly growing taller when the spirit was the main personality in charge. His gaze appeared a little sharper when the spirit was in control, and there was a tiny difference timbre to his voice from what I remembered of the short amount of time I've spent around the spirit. Which to say is almost no time since I didn't hang around them a lot. Or at all.

"So… You guys on a date or something?" I asked, glancing between the two. Tea's face exploded in a blush while the spirit blinked slowly as though he was trying to piece together what I said.

"No, we're uh… Just hanging out today!" Tea said quickly, a little louder than necessary. I almost felt bad for poking fun at the poor girl, but didn't let it show. "We decided to spend the day seeing what kind of adventures we could get into."

"Ah. Well sorry for keeping you two from your adventure. I was just heading home anyway, Mai was helping me with something but she had to leave so…" I trailed off, not sure why I was explaining myself. Maybe it was because the spirit was focusing his gaze on me, like he was trying to probe my thoughts. The last time I'd seen him he had been focused intently on me as well, and part of me worried that he could sense something different about me.

"I didn't know you dueled Reila." He finally said, and I realized I had been right - his voice was _slightly_ deeper than Yugi's. Not by a lot, but as someone who trained in music I could hear the slight difference in pitch.

Following his gaze, I saw he was focused on the deck box I still held in my hand. "Oh, I don't really. Mokuba helped me build a deck a while ago to see if I could learn, but the kid is not tutor material. Mai took one look at the deck I used to have and decided it was her personal mission to fix it. Honestly I don't really need one but I suppose it doesn't hurt to have one on standby."

"May I see it?" His polite tone kind of took me by surprise, but I handed him the box after a second and glanced over at Tea who was watching our interaction intently. I didn't see any jealousy on her face, but she knew the spirit better than I did. Maybe something in the way he was acting was unusual or something. That or she was trying to figure out if I was a decent person or a danger to her friend.

Finally the spirit nodded after looking through my deck. "It's not bad at all. I don't know you very well, but judging from your deck you are cautious and more of a reactionary type person. It reflects in your cards." He handed back the cards with a smile.

"You say reflexive, I say I enjoy crushing people when their egos are most inflated." I said, shrugging and stowing the box in my purse. Tea's eyes about bugged out of their sockets, but I flashed a smile to show her I meant no harm. "Relax Tea, I only do that to people who deserve it. Like those who try to steal from my family or harm my friends."

Tea nodded after a moment. "Right. I guess some of the rumors about you are true then?" Ah right, I remember Seto mentioning Tea was kind of a fan of mine.

"Rumors always have a grain of truth in them. Or a distorted version of the truth in them, in some cases." I said, shifting my weight as I started to relax a little. So far Tea didn't seem too bad, and I began to wonder again if the animators for the show had exaggerated certain traits of her personality. "In my line of work rumors can either hurt or help your reputation. It pays to have people fear crossing you, but too much fear begins to affect you negatively. Sometimes you can get away with having a bad reputation and still remain popular by having people love to hate you, but that comes with some nasty side effects. A good public figure will guard their image carefully and be very, very careful about what becomes public knowledge."

"Forgive me, but what exactly is your line of work? I know that you are famous for being the only female in your family, but I'm afraid I don't know what brought about your fame." The spirit said, and although his words could be considered rude his tone was more inquisitive. I got the impression he was genuinely curious versus being sarcastic.

"That's actually exactly where I got my fame, initially. My family is already well known in the music industry, and my mother's elopement with my father was quite the scandal. So when I was adopted back into the family, it was kind of a big deal. Now that I'm older, I'm beginning to take more responsibility in our company itself which only adds to the initial fame. But I am trying to show that I'm more than just a name; actually I announced to our shareholders just a week ago that I'm planning on releasing my own album within the next year." I said, tapping my bottom lip in thought. "Actually, you two are the first ones outside of the shareholders who know that little tidbit. I'd appreciate your discretion in not spreading that around just yet."

"Wow, your own album? That's so awesome! I saw a clip of the song that you and your cousin performed at the party you hosted when you first came back to Japan - it was really good, and you have a wonderful voice." Tea said, smiling brightly. "It's wonderful that you're following your dream like that."

"Actually I never had any intention of releasing an album. But it helps me further my true dream, so I'll endure being in the public spotlight like that if it means I'll be named head of A&R eventually." I said, shrugging. They didn't need to know the real reasoning, that the album was a way to silence a certain naysayer and cover up my blunder with the Royalty Records thing.

"Tea and I were just discussing our dreams earlier. Perhaps you Reila, being in the entertainment industry, can offer Tea some pointers on making her dream come true." The spirit said, nodding to Tea.

"Oh? Do you want to be a singer or something Tea?" I asked, turning my attention to the brunette. I vaguely remembered her wanting to be something… Oh wait, it was a dancer I think. 'Maniac' was suddenly playing in my head as I remembered the dance battle she got in at one point or another with some dread lock wearing jerkoff. Thanks again LittleKuriboh, now I'm going to have that song stuck in my head.

"Oh no, nothing like that. I've always dreamed about being a dancer though, I actually want to go to New York to study dance after I graduate." Tea said, a dreamy look on her face. "It's my passion!"

"Hmmm, dancing isn't the easiest thing in the world. And the top schools will only take the best of the best. Juilliard, for instance is one of the best known schools in the world but attendance is a battle royale and thousands apply a year." I said, thinking. "I myself have studied only a little dance - mostly just learning routines for music videos that I've been in. But if it's your passion, then go for it. There's a big difference between someone like me who can dance but lacks passion, and someone who is completely passionate."

"Do you think I've got a shot?" Tea asked, her eyes full of hope.

I chewed on my lower lip. "Well if I say yes it would be pretty hollow since I've never really seen you dance…" Her face fell a little at my words and part of me felt bad for taking some of the wind out of her sails. Glancing down the street I spotted an arcade, one that I knew Hojo sometimes snuck off to on his lunch break. I think it might be the same one they visited on the show, now that I thought about it. "Tell you what, if you two don't mind I'm gonna interrupt your day together. Come with me, I know there's a dance machine in that arcade. It's not the same as a true dance performance of course, but the amount of passion and energy you put into the routine from the game should give me a rough idea of where you are in terms of talent."

Tea's eyes lit up and her smile widened again. "Oh wow, thank you Reila! It would mean a lot to hear your opinion since you know so many professional dancers."

"Sure thing." I said, heading to the arcade with the two of them. I knew I was kind of messing with their day together, and if I remembered correctly eventually they would end up at the museum later on - I'd have to find an excuse to skedaddle before that point because I did not want a run-in with Ishizu. Who knows what that necklace of her would drag up, and explaining myself to her and these two was not a conversation I was looking forward to having at all.

* * *

Stepping into the arcade brought a wave of nostalgia from my old life - I'd spent a lot of time engrossed in video games before I'd died, and the familiar beeps and explosions from various games dragged up a sharp pang of homesickness. It wasn't often that it hit, but when it did it took me a moment to reorient myself. Thankfully, I was able to pull myself together before Tea and the spirit noticed.

"Alright Tea, let's see what you've got." I said, leading the way through the arcade to the large game showcased smack in the center. Loosely based off Dance Dance Revolution, this game focused not just on having someone step on four arrows but rather used state of the art motion recognition software to score a person based on their ability to follow a complete routine. The show might have shown it as a series of arrows, but it played a little more like Dance Central or Just Dance versus DDR. Namely because there were so many additional arrows and stepping areas, and also because it not only counted where your feet landed but also what you did with your arms. Definitely more inclusive than DDR.

As we made our way to the front of the crowd, I saw that dreadlock dude was there. Great, he had been annoying in the show and now I had to actually be around him. Watching him finish the routine he was playing I had to admit he wasn't a bad dancer, but definitely full of himself. His arrogance was apparent in his movements, and I knew at least three choreographers who could make him cry within five minutes of being under their instruction. Kind of pathetic, especially given that he was definitely older than the high school students who were throwing praise up at him. And he was obviously the type of person who loved being the center of attention.

When he turned and challenged Tea, she was all for it. Tossing her jacket at the spirit and giving me her purse, she ran up the steps excitedly to start the dance duel.

"Are you sure this is a good idea Reila? That Johnny Stepps seems… Arrogant." The spirit said, watching his friend closely. I may not know him very well, but I could see the small amount of worry on his face. Outside of a duel he was a pretty easy person to read, and I suspect it's from being out of contact with people for so long. As a pharaoh, he would have probably been taught how to keep emotions from showing on his face, something that I knew all too well.

"Like I said, I want to see just how much passion she brings to the stage. Any form of entertainment is equal parts hard work and passion, and having natural talent doesn't hurt either." I said, crossing my arms over my chest and watching with him. "I can say this - there certainly is a lot of passion in her moves. It's not as polished as someone who's trained professionally, but there is some raw talent there."

"I'm sure praise from you will make her very happy. Tea greatly admires you, especially your loyalty to your family and friends." He said, glancing at me from the corner of his eye.

"Loyalty is a big deal for me. It was ingrained into me as a child and it's one of the few lessons my parents taught me before their passing." I said, frowning as Johnny began trying to sabotage Tea. The spirit tensed and took a half step forward as though he was going to interfere but I put a hand on his arm to stop him. "Don't. Tea can handle a chump like this."

His brows furrowed as he studied my face a moment before turning to watch Tea, "But if he hurts her…"

"You and I both know that Tea can handle this creep. He's a chauvinistic pig who gets off on the praise of people around him - he doesn't have any real talent, and Tea is threatening his title." Sure enough, Tea not only avoided his sabotage attempts but also kept her rhythm and timing almost perfectly. The spirit smiled as he began to relax, seeing that Tea was in control of the situation. "Besides, if she couldn't handle someone as petty as Stepps I wouldn't recommend she actually pursue professional dancing. It has the potential to be just as cutthroat as the music industry."

The spirit said nothing, but applauded along with the crowd as Tea finished the routine and turned to give a big thumbs up. The crowd cheered her win as she stepped off the stage with a big grin.

"That was actually a lot of fun!" She said, breathing a little harder and dabbing at the sweat that had formed on her face with the back of her hand.

I took a handkerchief out of my purse and handed it to her, which she took with a thankful smile. "You did very well Tea, and I'm impressed with the amount of passion you dance with. When you've graduated high school give me a call - I'll set you up with a few contacts to get a better gauge of your talent and what areas to concentrate on. I'm not a dance expert but I know talent when I see it."

The look on Tea's face was priceless - complete shock, which morphed into slight confusion before lighting up with pure joy and hope. "Are… Are you serious Reila?"

I gave her a half smile as I nodded. "Sure, I wouldn't want to see you mishandled by an idiot. You've got a lot of spunk, and it shows in your dancing. Plus you handled attempted sabotage very well, and anyone who can handle it with that much grace and composure can get far in any career."I shrugged to show it wasn't a big deal before being engulfed in a hug from Tea. I took me by surprise, and I stiffened initially which Tea probably picked up on because she let me go very quickly.

"Oh thank you! That means so much to me." She said, her face glowing with excitement.

"Don't mention it." I said, trying to downplay the situation. Really it wasn't a big deal, I had the means to help her so I would. Easy peasy.

"Hey wait a minute, isn't that Reila Sarota?" I heard a voice say, and I almost groaned. I had kind of been hoping to get out of here before I was recognized. But pale skin plus my distinct hair color made it kind of difficult to not be noticed, hence why I generally stay away from public areas. I've become used to it over time, but I still don't like being the center of attention if I can avoid it.

"Yeah it is! Hey Reila, Reila!" And just like that we were surrounded by a mob of people. I think some legitimately recognized me, but I noticed a few onlookers who got caught up in the crowd and didn't necessarily recognize me, just realized a celebrity was nearby and wanted bragging rights.

"Is it always like this when you go out?" The spirit asked, glancing around as he was forced to step closer to me by the ensuing rush of people trying to get closer.

"Kind of, it's one drawback to being so well known." I said, plastering my "Princess" smile on and waving while taking someone's pen and scribbling an autograph onto a napkin which had been thrust at me. Tea narrowly avoided being punched by the hand holding the napkin, but she'd thankfully dodged it in time.

"Did I hear you saying you were looking at scouting that girl? I thought you only dealt with musicians." A guy wearing a beanie said, frowning.

"Sarota Entertainment mainly handles musicians yes, but we do also manage a few model contracts and dancers as well. We sometimes outsource for dancers for live performances and music videos, but we prefer to use our own dancers when possible." I said pleasantly, posing for a picture with a girl and her boyfriend. Tea and the spirit got shoved to the side, and I saw Tea 'accidentally' stomped her foot on top of another person's as they tried to shove her aside again. That almost succeeded in making me laugh.

"Yeah but I mean you don't really dance, so how can you spot talent in a dancer?" Beanie guy said, and I almost rolled my eyes before remembering there were so many cameras trained on me. Mocking someone like that was a bad thing when cameras were trained on me.

"Reila's danced before, so she knows what to look for. Haven't you ever seen the video for Vanilla? It was Reila's first video!" Tea said, blushing when I raised an eyebrow at her. Really now was not the time to be bringing up THAT video, because it might lead to -

"Hey, this game has the routine for Vanilla! Reila, dance for us!"

That.

I sighed quietly as the mob began chanting my name, and Tea gave an apologetic look as the spirit seemed confused. He's probably never seen it, so I can't blame him for his confusion. That particular music video had caused a LOT of controversy, namely because of the subject matter for the song and the fact that I had been barely fifteen when I appeared in it. Although my uncle and I had been fine with it, any song that blatantly sexual involving a fifteen year old girl as the main dancer in the video is bound to raise more than a few eyebrows. But given that the crowd was so worked up, I didn't see the harm in performing it quickly. It really is a pretty tame routine, it's not like I pole dance in it or anything like that. Just a few borderline risque hip movements.

"Alright, alright." I said, giving in to the crowd as I made my way to the stage. It really wouldn't hurt to do the damn dance, and when I spotted the amount of cameras trained on me suddenly doubling I decided it really was a good idea. Free publicity and all that.

Sometimes I absolutely adore the invention of cellphones and the internet.

* * *

Seto paused in his typing as an alert popped up in the corner of his laptops screen. He had a basic algorithm that ran in the background and tracked any relevant news that was uploaded to major news networks or video sites, and Reila's name had popped up with a new video. It was a live stream from a fansite of hers, and Seto clicked on it after a moment. He had originally written the search program to track any news of his company and competitors, but recently he had added Reila's information into the search parameters since she had become a sort of fixed figure in his life. If something impacted her negatively he would rather be aware of it right away to judge how much of an impact it would have on him, Mokuba, and Kaiba Corp.

He raised an eyebrow at the video, a somewhat low quality video of Reila in a local arcade dancing to a Gorou Kimoto song. He didn't listen to that type of music so had never watched the video, although he knew that it had been one of the first she'd appeared in from when he'd done some digging into her life during the time they'd been apart. Still it was a harmless video so he moved the cursor to close the wind-

Seto froze as he focused more intently on Reila's figure. Where in the name of all things sacred had she learned to move her hips like _that_?

"Big brother? What's the matter?" Mokuba asked, looking up from his homework.

Seto clicked the exit button quickly. "Nothing."

Mokuba shrugged and went back to his work as Seto blinked while staring at the report he'd been typing up before the distraction. He'd never seen Reila move like that before, sure she had a certain grace to her but that was… Borderline sexual. And given that she'd been wearing form fitting shorts, it had drawn emphasis to her hips and her... Other parts. What was she thinking, acting like that in public? As if there weren't enough men drooling after her. For someone who claimed to have no desire to attract attention, she certainly seemed to be drawing a lot of it lately.

Another alert popped up and he clicked on it a little quicker this time, seeing another video. This one was better quality and showed Reila finishing the dance and making her way down from the platform where… Was she hanging out with Yugi and that annoying 'friendship is magic' friend of his? Seto frowned as he tried to understand what Reila was doing hanging around those two. They didn't seem to be overly friendly, and Reila had that practiced fake smile on while they made their way out of the arcade. He'd see Reila later tonight, and he'd get answers from her then.

* * *

As we left the arcade, I noted that the sun was already making it's way below the horizon. Had we really been in the arcade that long? Then again Mai and I had gotten a late start for the day since I'd taken time to train a little longer with Ydor this morning. And I may or may not have taken a bit more time in the shower than usual because the experience with my self doubt had shaken me more than I'd let on.

Without thinking I began walking with Tea and the pharaoh. I don't know what prompted it, initially I had every intention of making a quick exit to avoid going with them to the museum. But something in the way the pharaoh was looking at me made it clear he wanted to speak with me further, and I figured that as long as the conversation didn't go down the 'I sense something unusual about you' route I was okay with it.

Tea was practically bouncing as she walked. But I didn't find her as irritating as I did when I had watched the show. She wasn't nearly as overbearing on a regular basis as her character had been portrayed, in fact she kind of reminded me of a friend I had known in my first life - very optimistic and peppy, but she also knew when to tone it back. Perhaps she was a tad more emotional than I was, but it wasn't a fault per se. If anything it could be considered a strength at times, because she showed her emotions so freely. Her loyalty to her friends is admirable as well, and again that can be viewed as a strength.

I was reminded of something that an internet movie critic had once said in my old life, that female characters in the nineties weren't necessarily written well in American movies. They were either unbearably optimistic and bubbly or cold, hard women who hid an inner vulnerability, most of the time. Although the original anime had released at the tail end of the nineties, if I remembered correctly it had technically been in publication for a few years before that. So it kind of fit the time frame for her character to have been written a certain way. The reality was that Tea was a pretty average teenage girl, from what I could see so far.

"Thanks again Reila for taking the time to talk to me about dancing. It really is wonderful to have someone who knows so much about the entertainment industry give me a few pointers, and your offer for after high school… I'm just so excited!" Tea said as we came to a stop near the piers. This looked familiar, and I almost got caught up in a flashback to the show instead of answering right away.

"Really Tea it's not a big deal. This is the sort of thing I do all the time, granted it's mostly with musicians." I leaned against the railing and watched a sailboat go lazily by. "Besides, I owe you guys for helping rescue Seto from his own game."

"You don't owe us anything. We couldn't let Mokuba go alone and we certainly couldn't leave Kaiba to that sort of fate." The pharaoh said, a small frown on his face. Tea nodded her agreement to his response.

"No I do owe you." I said, tugging on a curl. Dammit I wish the pharaoh would stop looking at me like that, it was making me feel compelled to talk more than I normally would with them. "I don't like being in someone's debt, and Seto is the same way. Only he won't admit that you and your friends helped save him because then he would have to admit that he wasn't in control of the situation."

"It seems to me that you and Kaiba are always wanting to be in control." Tea said, but not unkindly. It sounded more like a casual observation.

I almost told them the reason was because we'd been orphaned so young, but I couldn't remember if it was common knowledge to these two that Seto had been adopted or not. If it wasn't and I told them, Seto might not be too happy about that. We'd just gotten over one fight, I didn't want to instigate another.

"We've both worked very hard to get where we are now. Giving control to someone else gives them a chance to sabotage us and take away everything we've gained." I said, shrugging. I was going to say more but my phone's ringtone stopped me. "Excuse me a moment." I stepped away from the two pulled out my phone, seeing Uncle Sota's name on the screen.

"Hello Uncle." I said, walking a few more steps away.

" _Reila, are you enjoying your day out?_ "

"Yes, Mai had an appointment so I've been spending some time with some… Friends that I ran into." I said, keeping my voice down. I still didn't necessarily consider them friends, but it seemed easier to explain to my uncle.

" _I'm glad to hear that you're spending some time with friends - I was beginning to think you didn't have any besides the Kaiba boys. But that's not the reason that I called._ "

"What is it? Is something wrong?" I asked, worried.

" _Not wrong, just… The way Manabu was acting during the shareholders meeting got me thinking. So I did a little more digging and found something odd; the timestamps from the emails that he supposedly sent to Royalty are times that he was in private meetings with me. And he didn't have his PDA or access to a computer at those times._ "

That… Is not what I was expecting to hear. "But they came from his email. No one else has access to that, and there's no way he could have changed the timestamps… He's not tech saavy enough for that…"

" _My point exactly. I'm beginning to think that either he has another helper, or… Reila we have to also consider that he may have been set up._ "

That almost succeeded in making me laugh. "Set up? Who on earth would set him up?"

" _I don't know, but if he is being set up I need to know. And if he's not being set up then I need to know how he covered his tracks so well._ " My uncle's voice was low and serious, but I could also hear a small amount of worry in his tone as well.

"Alright, I'll start looking into-"

" _No Reila, not this time. You have far too much on your plate as it is, and your schedule will only get more chaotic as the debut of your album comes closer._ " I tried to object but Uncle Sota cut me off again. " _No 'buts' Reila. This time I will handle it personally. Besides, if Manabu really is this devious I don't want you anywhere near him._ "

"... Fine. But please keep me updated uncle." I said after a moment of silence. I really don't like it when Uncle Sota puts himself in the proverbial crosshairs, but I couldn't stop him even if I wanted to.

" _I just wanted to let you know before you found out some other way. I'll see you tonight my dear._ "

I said my goodbyes to him and hung up, turning when I heard a brash voice call out to the pharaoh and Tea. I sighed as I stowed away my cell phone - I'd forgotten that Johnny challenged the pharaoh to a duel. If I remembered correctly, the pharaoh had no problem stomping him in the duel. It was still annoying to have to deal with that big of a novice-

An idea popped into my head as I approached slowly. Mai had helped me build my deck, but I hadn't tested it yet. Maybe I could use Johnny as a way to test it out. It made sense to make sure that the deck that I was carrying at least flowed alright, that way if I did happen to need it I could rely on it to not completely bomb.

"Tea, may I finish off your opponent?" The pharaoh asked as I approached, and I stepped next to Tea as I put a hand on her arm.

"Actually if you guys don't mind, I'll handle this duel." I said, smiling. "After all, I have a new deck that I need to test out. If that's alright with you two?" After the two shared a look, they hesitantly nodded their approval.

"Hey wait, you're Reila Sarota! You're the one who brought those two in and upstaged me!" Johnny said, scowling at me.

"It doesn't take much to upstage a no talent thug. But yes, I am Reila Sarota. And if you want to have a rematch with anyone, it's going to be me. And the game will be Duel Monsters." I said, crossing my arms over my chest as I waited for his response.

"Ha! This is my lucky day - because if I win this match, you have to agree to go on a date with me!" Johnny said, and I grimaced at the thought.

"Fine, I accept. But if I win this match, you're never to bother Tea ever again." I said, reaching into my purse and pulling out my deck. "Now, let's get started shall we?"

* * *

 _ **I don't know if I like this idea, young one. Just last night you blacked out from being so close to a duel. Granted that was because of an Egyptian God being present, but I think it is too soon to subject yourself to that stress again.**_

 _That's why I have you Ydor, to help me. If things start looking bad I'll just forfeit and take the penalty of going on a date with this dweeb._ Ydor snorted his amusement at the idea in my head as I shuffled my deck, looking across the arena at Johnny. _But I don't think it will come to that. If I remember, he has pretty weak monsters and duels even worse than I do._

"Challenging Johnny Stepps to a duel was a huge mistake! You three have no idea who you're dealing with!" Johnny called out, and I rolled my eyes at the obvious bluster.

"Please, let's not get caught up in pre-duel banter. Either shut up and duel or admit defeat now." I said, placing my deck on the panel. I heard Tea and the pharaoh snicker and shot them a confident smirk.

"Listen up Reila, Johnny doesn't lose. So I'd start picking out places for us to go on our date right now if I were you!" He said, placing his deck down as well.

"Shut up and make your move." I said, drawing my starting hand. Not bad at all - I had Magic Jammer, which I knew would come in handy if he tried to summon that guitar playing monster that I remembered from the show. I also had a pretty good setup for monsters, even if one of them was one that required a tribute. But Double Coston was in my hand, and with its special ability to be treated as two monsters in a sacrifice instead of one for a monster that bore the dark element, I was very pleased to have drawn it so early. Mai had voiced concern over my choosing high cost monsters, but really there weren't that many monsters in my deck that required sacrifices to summon. I just didn't waste time on any monster that had less than 1200-1300 attack points.

"Why don't I start off this show? Sonic Maid, in attack mode!" Johnny summoned his first monster, and I braced for the feeling of magic… But there wasn't any. "This maid's going to clean your clock!"

 _Ydor, what's going on? I don't sense any magic from that monster at all._ The fact that I was suddenly not sensing magic worried me. Every other duel I've been around I've been able to sense some sort of magical energy, but this was a complete blank.

 _ **The boy does not possess the ability to wield magic. Perhaps that has something to do with it. Either way, keep your guard up.**_

As strange as it was, I decided not to dwell on it too much as I drew my next card. Double Summon, that could come in handy later on. Studying the field, my eyes flicked to the screen below - Sonic Maid has an attack strength of 1200, but I had plenty of monsters who could easily wipe it out. "Believe what you want Johnny. I summon Absorbing Kid from the Sky in attack mode." I placed the card down and waited for the monster to appear, the overweight teen with feathered wings scowling at my opponent. Absorbing Kid from is one of the weakest monsters in my deck at only 1300 points, but his ability more than made up for the lack of strength in my opinion. "And I'll use him to attack your Sonic Maid."

As the holograms battled and Johnny's faded, I smiled. "And thanks to Kid's special ability, I gain life points equal to your monster's level multiplied by 300, so thanks to your 3 star Sonic Maid I gain 900 life points." I glanced at the counter and confirmed that they had added on, the bright 2900 winking cheerfully at me. "I end my turn."

I could sense a little magic from my Absorbing Kid, but not nearly on the same level as Obelisk. It was a tiny blip on my radar, nothing more. I'd have to talk to Ydor in depth about it later, and why Johnny's monsters had no magic coming from them at all. After so many duels where I could feel the rise and fall of magic from the monsters summoned, it was a little unnerving to suddenly sense almost nothing.

"It looks like you just got lucky girl." Johnny said, blinking in surprise before a cocky smirk formed on his face. "But I wouldn't let it go to your pretty head. This duel just started!" He drew his next card and summoned Water Omotics in attack mode.

I bit my lip as I looked out over the field. My Absorbing Kid only had 1300 attack points, and Water Omotics has 1400. Johnny would probably take him out to prevent me from gaining any more life points, but that was alright. I could take a 100 point deduction and still be alright. Johnny hadn't mentioned Water Omotics having any special abilities, and from what I could remember about the card - which in hindsight is really nothing - there wasn't anything I needed to worry about.

"Water Omotics, attack Absorbing Kid from the Sky! Now that you have no monsters, I end my turn." Johnny said, grinning.

I blinked slowly as the counter took off 100 life points. I wasn't too concerned, I had plenty of monsters in my deck that could take out his monster with no trouble. I drew my next card and had to stop myself from laughing happily - Cosmo Queen. But rather than bring her out now, I decided I'd draw it out just one more turn, to ensure that the deck wasn't unbalanced.

"First, I activate the magic card Double Summon, allowing me to summon two monsters instead of just one this turn. My first summon will be Element Doom in attack mode." I waited as the hulking beast appeared, his dark wings flaring out as scaled fingers beckoned with a mocking 'come here' gesture to Johnny's monster. With his 1500 attack points, he would be able to take out Water Omotics no problem. "My second summon will be Double Coston, also in attack mode. Now, Element Doom attack his Water Omotics, and then Double Coston attack his life points directly for 1700 points of damage." I looked at the counter and smiled - I was still sitting at 2800 life points, while Johnny had a grand total of 100 left. Double Coston's double body swirled lazily in the air, the blue tongues waggling playfully as they twirled.

"T-This isn't the end! Johnny Stepps doesn't lose!" But even from across the field I could see that he was feeling anxious. "Spirit of the Harp, in defense mode! Along with a magic card, Chorus of Sanctuary! My little cherub friend increases the defense power of my Spirit of the Harp by 500 points!" As the monster formed, I kept my face blank. Johnny seemed to perk up a bit, probably thinking he was safe from my monsters.

Wrong. Spirit of the Harp may have 2500 defense points now, but my Cosmo Queen would still crush it with her 2900 attack points. I studied the calm face of his Spirit, her serene smile almost making me feel guilty about plotting her destruction. But then again, she was just a hologram and I had every intention of winning this duel.

"I end my turn." Johnny said, glaring at me.

"Then I'll make my move." I said, drawing and not even looking at the card - I knew exactly what I planned for this final round. "First, I'll sacrifice Double Coston and use his special ability to be treated as two tributes to bring forth a dark monster. Come out Cosmo Queen!"

The look on the faces of Johnny, Tea, and the pharaoh was priceless. Granted I may be a novice duelist but even I had to admit that drawing the cards I needed right away was a stroke of pure luck. As my Cosmo Queen formed, her red cloak billowed out as pale purple hands lifted up with a miniature galaxy forming between them. Of all the monsters I had summoned, she registered the most magic on my senses, followed closely by Element Doom. Still, neither one compared to the sheer force I had sensed from Obelisk.

I was beginning to see why Seto took this so seriously - it was pretty awesome being able to annihilate an opponent so quickly. Even one as moronic as Johnny Stepps.

"And now, we'll move on to the attack phase. First, I'll use Cosmo Queen to destroy your Spirit of the Harp." Johnny cried out in shock as his last defense fell, my Cosmo Queen's eyes flashing from beneath her headdress as Spirit of the Harp fell under the weight of her attack. "And now, Element Doom, attack his life points directly!"

Element Doom roared in approval, his wings snapping out as he flew in Johnny's direction, a black mass spilling from his outstretched hand and washing over Johnny as the two-bit dancer cried out in surprise. And just like that, the duel was over. Johnny stared blankly ahead while the holograms powered down and I gathered my cards.

"I believe the agreement was if I won, you would leave Tea alone forever." I said, smiling. "If I find out you have been bothering her, I'll be in touch. And it will be more than a defeat in a card game that you'll be facing." With that I turned and exited the platform, stowing the deck back in my purse.

"Reila, that was… I'm impressed that you were able to defeat him so quickly." The pharaoh said, a disbelieving look on his face.

"Honestly, if I hadn't drawn Cosmo Queen I would have been in trouble. I don't really have any other cards that could have handled a monster with 2500 defense points." I said, tugging on a curl. Not that I planned to make a habit of dueling, but it was nice to know I could more than hold my own against smaller opponents.

"That was so awesome Reila! I mean you took him out in three turns, just like that!" Tea said, smiling happily as she snapped her fingers for emphasis. "Maybe Kaiba and Mokuba taught you a little more than you thought."

"Maybe, but please don't tell them about this - they'll be really upset that I didn't wait for them to see my first duel." I said, biting my lip. I hadn't thought about that before I took control of the duel. "Anyway, if he does bother you in the future Tea let me know. I have to get going, I promised Mai that I would meet up with her later."

"Reila, thank you for everything today." The pharaoh said, holding out his hand. I hesitated only a moment before taking it and shaking his hand. I gave Tea a pat on the shoulder and exited the building, pulling out my phone to call Mai.

Time for the deadliest tournament yet.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/N** : Holy cheeseballs. 20 chapters. Little insight, I haven't written anything this long EVER. I'm actually pretty proud of myself for being able to write this long!

Granted there have been many, many month or longer long gaps between chapters, and I do apologize for that. The problem is twofold: One, I know what I want to happen in the story but I sometimes have such a hard time writing it. Like I know the beginning and the end, but the middle always gives me such a hard time. Two, life gets in the way. I have been pulling quite a few 10+ hour days at work at times to help out with us being short staffed, and yeah things have to be pushed back. Thank you for your patience!

There have been some reviewers that pointed out to me that the duel at the end of the last chapter was… Meh. It was my first time writing a duel in a story, and by trying to avoid the things that I find a little dry in stories (over explanation of card designs, over explaining dueling rules, etc.) I may have inadvertently given too little information. I have gone back and re-written the duel part, taking the comments from those who pointed out a few of the flaws into consideration. I hope it's a little better than what it was!

I would also like to explain how I got the cards that Reila drew: truthfully, I used Duel Links. I played a duel against an NPC, and used the cards that I drew in that duel for her hand. So if it seemed like it was a little too easy for her to pull the cards she needed to beat Johnny Stepps, it's because it was literally the cards that were dealt in the mock duel I played. There is a possibility that it was easier to beat Stepps because when I build decks, I don't really waste time with low level monsters unless they have a fantastic ability to backup the lack of power. If that makes sense. I go for creatures that can hold their own until they're used to summon higher powered monsters, and in truth one thing that always bothered me about the duels in Yu-Gi-Oh! is how long it takes then to get to the good monsters. Seriously, ask my friends and they'll tell you my strategy in card games is hit fast and hard. So if it seems like she's pulling high powered monsters too easily… Well that's because it's literally how I designed her deck.

As always, a huge shout out to those who left reviews - **Counting Sinful Stars** , **Like Stars in the Sky** , **Drachegirl14** , and **Scythe** \- and to those of you who favorited/followed the story. You guys rock, and a super special awesome thank you for making Monachopsis the **3rd** most followed Seto/OC story on the site!

Anyway, now that I'm done rambling onto the chapter!

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. This fic is written purely for entertainment purposes only.**

* * *

Chapter 20

After leaving the pharaoh and Tea so that they could finish the night as they were supposed to - AKA meet up with Ishizu - I wandered down the street towards the restaurant that Mai and I had agreed to meet up at for dinner. It made me chuckle a little just how much I tended to eat out in this life. In my first one I had hardly ever eaten out, preferring my mother's home cooked meals to anything out of a restaurant, and saving money had been a constant struggle anyhow. But given that I had access to high class food in this life, and the funding to back it up I indulged a little. Not too much, because a public figure has to maintain a healthy weight and all but my metabolism was higher than in my first life, allowing me a little more leeway. I mused a little over the differences between my two lives before Ydor spoke up.

 _ **You have been thinking a great deal about your first life recently young one. Have you developed homesickness?**_

 _No Ydor, just musing._ I stepped around a young couple lost in one another's eyes, frowning at the obliviousness of the two. Honestly who just stops in the middle of a sidewalk to stare at one another like that? _Hey, quick question for you: how come I couldn't sense any magic from the monsters that Johnny summoned? I felt some from mine, most noticeably Element Doom and Cosmo Queen, but anything from his side of the field had nothing._

 _ **The previous duels you have been present for were duels where the combatants had some form of magical ability. You yourself have the ability to wield magic, so the monsters you summoned held trace amounts within them. As for this Johnny you faced, he holds absolutely no magic ability, therefore his monsters have no magic to have transferred to them.**_

I continued walking as I pondered Ydor's words. _So basically, every time I duel I'm putting out a beacon to others with magical ability. Like a big neon sign that says 'Hey guys this chick uses magic too!', is that about right?_

 _ **That is correct. You were too busy concentrating on your attacks, but I could sense the one you call 'pharaoh' spreading his awareness and picking up on trace amounts of the magic you subconsciously infused into your monsters.**_

I stumbled as Ydor's words rang through my head - _the pharaoh knows I can wield magic!_ Sitting down on a bench I rubbed my forehead as I grimaced.

 _Dammit, he's not SUPPOSED to know about that! Him knowing about my ability opens the door for too many questions that I don't know if I can or want to answer! Son of a…_ I dropped my head into my hands and threaded my hands into my hair, scowling fiercely. _I already have a hard enough time keeping quiet when he gives me THAT look. Like he knows there's something more about me that he needs to know. I can't have him sniffing around, and I'm going to be in his line of sight a lot during this tournament._

 _ **Tell me honestly, would it truly be so bad for him to know you have abilities? He could be of use to you in your quest to protect your friends.**_ Ydor's words were calm and soothing, but he just didn't seem to understand.

 _Of course it's bad, if things don't play out the way they're supposed to…. UGH this is bad, soooooooooo bad. If dueling brings out my magic like that then no, I can't duel anymore. Period. I'll just do whatever it takes to avoid any future duels._

 _ **You are missing the broader picture young one. If he knows about your abilities, he can assist you in making sure that your friends are safe from harm. And perhaps he will be able to help you wield magic more effectively.**_

My head jerked up as I glared into the street, wishing I could dive into my mind and glare at Ydor instead. _No, YOU'RE missing the point Ydor. In the story the pharaoh is able to triumph in the end on his own abilities and the friendship of Tea, Tristan, Joey… Oh what the hell, add in Duke and even Seto in a rival-ish sort of way. I can't let him know that I have abilities because then I get added into that grouping and I'm too much of an unknown factor. It's too risky for him to know-_

"You know, if you're going to talk to him like that you really should put a book in front of your face or something. Makes it a little less obvious that you're zoning out."

A feminine voice jolted me out of my mental rambles as my eyes focused sharply on the woman standing in front of me. My limbs stiffened not just from her words, but from the aura that seemed to surround her like a cloak. The people walking down the street gave her a wide berth, seeming to sense the same thing I sensed from her.

Danger.

I looked her over, trying to pinpoint what is was about her that made me suddenly feel like an animal cornered by a hunter. She wasn't beautiful in the conventional sense, but there was an exoticness about her that made her stand out. Long black hair fell in thick waves down her back, layered tastefully with a few scattered braids woven through with various colored threads and bronze beads. Her eyes were shielded by black aviator sunglasses - really, in the middle of the night? Her lips were full and tweaked into an amused smirk, and her nose look like it might have broken and hastily reset at one point. Dressed in tight leather pants, knee high Doc Marten boots with silver skulls decorating the sides, and a tattered Godsmack t-shirt, she looked like any other goth/punk woman walking down the street despite her sun-kissed olive skin tone. The only jewelry she wore was a choker made of leather strips and white beads.

But it was that aura that surrounded her that made me nervous. It felt… Old. And powerful. At first fright locked my limbs in place, but Ydor didn't seem to be on guard, in fact he seemed amused if anything. If Ydor wasn't sending a threat I should be alright.

I licked my suddenly dry lips, clearing my throat lightly. "I beg your pardon?"

"I said if you're going to talk to him in public like that, make yourself a little less conspicuous. Kind of easy to pick up on people dialoguing with a beast in their soul if you know what you're looking for." Her voice was fluid but slightly husky, and there was an accent in it that I didn't recognize. She crossed her arms over her chest, leaning on one leg as she raised an eyebrow with a scar intersecting it in my direction. "I mean seriously, you'd think you'd be a little more covert what with not wanting anyone to know that there's something off about you. Do you have any survival instincts stuffed in that pretty head of yours?"

"H-How did you-"

"Never mind that." The woman said, waving a hand like she was batting my question away. "Look I'm only here to deliver something as a favor to… No there's no need to give you specifics. Let's call them my employers, okay? Or at least that's as close as an explanation as you're going to get. So I'm going to give you this and then be on my merry way to cause chaos and mayhem."

Her hand dug into her pocket and then popped back out, thrusting in my direction. Without thinking my hand reached out and she dropped the item into my waiting palm without another word. Pulling my hand back, I studied the object with a confused frown. Thin strips of braided gray silk held five gray stones in a necklace, but even though the colors were bland the thread seemed to glimmer in the darkness, and the stones caught to light from a nearby streetlight in a dazzling display. Beautiful in it's simplicity, I was still confused as I looked back at the woman.

"Uh… Thanks?" I said, picking up one end of the necklace with my other hand and holding it up to get a better look. "But I don't…"

"Oh for the love of… That beast inside you hasn't told you a damn thing, has he? Men." She growled before sighing in disgust before leaning over and tapping one black painted nail lightly on one of the stones. "This is called a _sfora_ amulet. Very old, very powerful. Priestesses in the ancient world used them as a storage vault for magic. Feed a little into the stones every day and you'll always have a backup supply." The woman straightened and jerked her head to the side, and I heard the bones of her neck crack while a satisfied smile graced her lips. "Well, for those who have to worry about going dry. Some of us are good enough to never have to worry about draining. But you're still too new to this particular game and you need a boost. Since you've handicapped yourself by letting so much negative emotion dwell within you - regardless of how deeply you've buried it - this little beauty is your Plan B."

"But how… Who are you? And how do you know so much about me?" The words tumbled out of me as I tried to wrap my head around the situation - strange woman handing out magical items and blathering on about negative emotions? And what did she mean by 'some of us'? And how in the name of all things holy did she know so much about me?

"You don't need to know who I am. Normal people who get involved with me have a nasty tendency to wind up missing." I grimaced at the implication, but she just gave me a savage grin. "Do yourself a favor and curb that curiosity, it's more beneficial to living a long life. If anyone asks just say some crazy woman on the street gave you that and you thought it was pretty enough to keep. As for how I know about you, my employers have a vested interest in your continued well being. So here I am, playing gopher for a woman with a serious stick up her rear and playing nice. Although why they're hinging _so many lives_ on you is beyond me." The last part was a murmured growl, almost as though I wasn't supposed to hear it.

"What do you mean so many-"

"Do you always talk so much? Seriously, shut up and listen and you might learn a thing or two." I scowled, and the thought of telling this woman that she'd barely let me get a word in edgewise crossed my mind. But she sighed and continued as people walked obliviously by, purposefully ignoring my frown. "Look, beast, give me a hand here. You're being awfully quiet for someone who claims to know so much. Jerk."

 _ **Tell this mad woman that her gift is appreciated, but her continued chatter is not.**_

"Yeah yeah beast, love ya too." I gasped as the woman responded to Ydor's words without my having repeated them, which she answered with a cheeky grin and a waggling of fingers. "Isn't magic fun? Anyone strong enough can sense and the _really_ strong ones can hear him in your head. But don't worry, he's too deeply cemented in your soul for anyone else to take. Only you can pass him on to another host, but that's something you should only do in the most dire of circumstances." Here her face fell into a serious expression, catching me off guard. "I mean it Reila. If ever there's a chance that the beast within you could be harmed, give him to someone else. Someone strong enough to keep him safe until you can get him back. You destined guardian, don't even think about risking his safety."

 _ **That will never happen. She and I will NOT be separated.**_ Ydor's growl sounded deep within me, causing an itch in my throat.

"Sure thing beasty. And I'm the flipping tooth fairy. Accounting for all possibilities is the first thing taught to anyone who has to do battle. And the two of you are heading into a battle whether you like it or not - time to step up your little tutoring sessions. And teach her how to load up the _sfora_ while you're at it." The woman turned and took two steps away before tilting her head to gaze at the stars. "It's unfair to put so much on someone so young but fate has decided that you, Reila, will play a deciding role in future events. Guard yourself, and trust the beast within you. Even if he is a member of the male species, he will guide you well."

"Wait, who are you? And HOW do you know so much?" I asked, standing up and reaching a hand to grab her. But she turned to me with a sharp gaze, one I could feel even from behind the dark lenses shielding her eyes.

"I know because you and I are not really that different. Well okay we're a lot of different but that's beside the point." Reaching up a hand, she removed her sunglasses and fixed her gaze on me - a gaze with eyes just as black as mine. A gasp escaped me as I saw the emotions hidden within them - loss, pain, and a touch of madness hiding at the edges.

"A person whose soul has been touched by a god will always be able to recognize another with a god touched soul - just look for eyes like ours." She said while I gaped in amazement. I'd never met anyone with eyes the same color as mine, and I suddenly had a whole new appreciation for how others felt under my gaze. It was otherworldly, and revealing her eyes seemed to intensify the dangerous aura that bled out of her.

"Please, just… Just tell me your name. If you and I are alike… I want to at least know your name." I could feel it, the brief connection between us. I didn't want her to go, I wanted answers… But her gaze hardened as the thought crossed my mind, and I swallowed back the childlike plea for her to stay.

A manic grin slid onto her face as she donned her sunglasses again, the hardness vanishing from her eyes. Her mood swings were hard to keep up with. "Ah, what the hell. Name's Melaina, but don't tell anyone about me. No one knows I exist anymore." In the blink of an eye she stepped into a stream of people and disappeared, leaving me more confused than I had been before she showed up, clutching the _sfora_ tightly in my hand.

* * *

Meeting Melaina had thoroughly shaken me, and I could still feel the effects of the encounter when I finally stepped into the warm light of the restaurant where Mai sat waiting. I could barely pay attention to what she was saying during dinner, my mind reeling with unanswered questions. Who were Melaina's employers, and why did they have a 'vested interest' in me? What prompted them to give me the _sfora_? Had my soul really been touched by a god, or gods? I think I would remember encountering a god and I'm fairly certain being touched by one is something I would remember.

Was she lying? She did appear to be two steps this side of insane with her dangerous aura, the slight manic light in her eyes, and sharp grin; but Melaina hadn't appeared to be lying. I could read a person's body language fairly well, but there hadn't been any signs of deception in her stance or actions. Either she was very good at lying, or had been one hundred percent honest.

"Hello, earth to Reila! Are you even listening?" Mai asked, and I quickly glanced up at her. Despite the annoyed frown on her face, she did appear concerned behind it. I felt guilty for not paying attention to her, because she was so excited about this tournament and had been chattering on about battle strategies she'd devised while I had zoned out.

"I'm sorry Mai, my uncle called and gave me some troubling news earlier and I got lost in thought about it." Not a complete lie, so I didn't feel any guilt about not telling her the whole truth. "Remember how I found the mole in our company and found evidence against Manabu? My uncle was reviewing the evidence we found today and… There's a possibility that it wasn't Manabu to begin with. Little things that I initially overlooked have led my uncle to the conclusion that someone might be attempting to frame him." I frowned, taking a sip of water.

"You're joking, right?" Mai asked, jaw dropping. When I shook my head she scowled. "Why on earth would anyone want to frame him? Are you both sure that he's not making it look like he's being framed to cover his tracks?"

"It's a possibility, but we can't prove anything one way or the other right now. And my uncle doesn't want me to be a part of the investigation anymore, what with the tournament and starting to work on my first album." I sighed and tilted my head back, eyeing the crystal chandelier above us. "I just can't think of anyone who would want to frame Manabu. In retrospect, I guess it was a little too easy to catch him. It's almost… Almost like he either wanted to be caught, or whoever might be framing him wanted it to be easy to find the false evidence."

"Well I guess you'll just have to wait and see what your uncle digs up, huh?" Mai asked, resting her hand on her chin. I spared a moment to glare at a woman who sniffed indignantly at Mai's elbow being on the table, and said snoot wisely kept her comments to herself after glancing at my stony expression.

"Sitting and waiting isn't exactly something I like to do. I get that my uncle is worried about me but I wish he'd let me look into it."

"I for one agree with Sota." Mai said, and I blinked in surprise. Mai and my uncle got along well enough, but… This was Mai. She didn't normally do well with authority figures. "I mean think about it Reila - Kaiba's going to have your time monopolized the entire length of this tournament. And then after that you should be devoting all your energy to the album so that you can really wow everyone with your best work. You're good at multi-tasking Reila, very good at it. I've seen you juggle thirty things when others would bow under the weight of ten. But if you spread yourself too thin nothing will be accomplished." She paused to take a sip of her water. "And not only that, but if your uncle let's you continue the investigation you'll lose focus on everything else. You say that Kaiba gets tunnel vision when it comes to winning, but you don't even realize you yourself get tunnel vision when someone threatens your family, hun."

Mai… Wasn't wrong. Now that I thought about it, I do tend to fixate on taking down my family's enemies. It was a weakness in some ways, but it had allowed me to take down rivals quickly and quietly. Well, sometimes quietly - Royalty Records had been a rather in-your-face take down. Patience was not a virtue that I had in this life, and was something that I hadn't had much of in my first one either.

"I could be hurt and offended by that, but I can't deny the truth." I said, grinning at her. "I think even Yugi noticed that I tend to get that way earlier when I dueled Johnny."

"I still can't believe you didn't wait until I was there to see your first duel. And what a doozy it was according to your story. Seriously, you took the guy out in less than five turns!" Mai said, laughing. "I mean I knew that you'd built a decent deck but that goes beyond any expectations I had for it."

"To be fair, Johnny was a pretty big pushover. And I only dueled him because he pissed me off." I said, waving to our waiter to bring the check. It was getting close to the time that we needed to get to the square for the big reveal. Seto would be furious if I missed it, not that I was looking forward to seeing him hanging out of a helicopter. Honestly the guy seemed to not take personal safety seriously. I frowned as I made a mental note to scold him about that later.

"That's an understatement. I'm actually more shocked that he didn't recognize Yugi right away - only an idiot would challenge him if they're not a seasoned duelist." Mai said, leaning back and crossing her arms.

"True, but it's not like Yugi's pictures are plastered everywhere. His name may be well known in the duelist community, but that doesn't account for the lack of pictures or people who know him personally. I mean those of you who participated in Duelist Kingdom would know him on sight, but to someone who doesn't know he looks like any other kid."

"Not with that hairdo." Mai said, and the two of us laughed as we left the restaurant. I felt better after talking with Mai, a little dose of reality after my bizarre encounter with Melaina. As the two of us made our way to the square, my phone went off with a message from Seto: _Meet me at Kaiba Corp. after the reveal._

I rolled my eyes at his curt message. Despite the urge to remind him that I didn't take orders from him, I decided to be civil and not get into an argument right before his tournament started. He was probably just stressed and too focused on that to think about common decency. I hit the reply button and reminded him that Mai was with me, but that I would swing by on our way back home. I didn't receive a reply but I was sure he'd gotten it.

"Kaiba?" Mai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course. He wants me to meet him at his office after the reveal. You don't mind tagging along do you?" I asked, pocketing my phone.

"I don't mind. Not like I have anything else planned." Mai said, shrugging. "But maybe I should just wait outside or something, if he's discussing something about the tournament I should stay out of the conversation. I don't want any accusations that I won by cheating." Her expression was serious, and I merely agreed to her waiting outside. Her pride wouldn't allow rumors of cheating, despite the fact that she had done so in the previous tournament with her perfumed cards trick.

Oh the irony.

"That brings up another thing… It's probably best that you not mention you've known about the tournament so long. I'm sure by now rumors have already started to swirl around but hearing mention of a tournament and being outright told that Seto is hosting one are two different things."

Mai agreed to keep quiet about that little tidbit, which I was thankful for. I wasn't sure how Seto would take my giving her the knowledge of an upcoming tournament, despite the fact that I hadn't told her specifics.

The two of us made it quickly to the square, a comfortable silence between us. Mai was probably lost in thought about the tournament, while I was still trying to silence the unanswered questions from meeting Melaina. Glancing around, I tried to see if Tea and the spirit had already arrived and steer Mai in that direction-

A powerful wash of magic stopped me in my tracks and I felt my spine stiffen in response. The magic in the air felt _sick_ , perverted in some way as it slid along my senses with an oily feeling. I could barely make out the maniacal laughter that seemed to follow in its shadow. My eyes darted left and right, trying to pinpoint where it originated from when I spotted the pharaoh's gaze also sweeping the area, coming to a stop as his gaze met mine I hurriedly tried to hide the tenseness I felt sure was on my face, but I couldn't be sure if I had covered it quickly enough. As Mai followed my gaze and spotted Tea and the spirit - well Yugi to her - she called out to them cheerfully as I followed a step behind her, momentarily shaking the fear off.

Marik's presence felt like madness given physical form.

* * *

Seto stood waiting outside of Kaiba Corp., leaning against the limo waiting to take him home. His tournament had been announced, and in one week it would begin. Anticipation ran swiftly through him and he again had to silence the voice that demanded the tournament start right away. But the city council hadn't given an inch on when they would allow the tournament to begin, citing time to gather additional resources and police schedules. Not even Reila had been able to get them to budge, and her negotiation skills were nothing to sneeze at.

Speaking of Reila, Seto frowned as he pictured her again standing near Yugi. This was twice now that he had seen her with him, and it didn't make sense that she would willingly hang around him. Yugi and his gang of dorks couldn't meet her needs mentally, and her personality was more aligned with his own than it was Yugi's. Mai hanging around he could grudgingly understand, but the thought of her spending time with Yugi and his gang made Seto's fists clench as some unbidden emotion burned in his gut. Shaking it off for the moment, he turned his head as Reila's car pulled up behind his own. Reila stepped out and bent to say something to Mai who was settled into the back before shutting the door and making her way to him. He noticed that her steps were quieter without her usual stilettos, but her shoes still gave her the usual height bonus that she had.

"You know, next time you decide to be… Well you, could you give me some heads up that you're planning on dangling yourself out of a helicopter? I about had a heart attack." Reila said, a scowl on her face. But even behind the scowl he could see genuine concern in her onyx gaze.

"I had control of the situation." Seto said simply, pushing off the car and turning to face her fully. "You have everything ready?"

"Yes Seto." Reila said with a small sigh, pulling her PDA out of her back pocket. Unlocking the screen she began scanning through her list. "Final rental agreements for your registration locations went through no problem, the staff hired have signed confidentiality agreements, and the additional staff needed for your tracking system begin orientation and training tomorrow. Feedback on the reveal itself is up in the air at this point, some seem impressed while others thought it obnoxiously over the top. Case in point while there were shouts of 'Kaiba you're cool!' there was also a comment about 'not knowing which is bigger - his ego or his melon on the big screen'."

Seto ignored the startled laughter from Mai hidden within the car, it didn't take a genius to realize who had said that.

Nodding his head, Seto felt the tiniest bit of tension drain from his shoulders. "During the tournament Mokuba will be acting as Commissioner, and I will be dueling to get my share of the locator cards. I'm counting on you to be walking the area as well, keeping an eye for anything unusual."

"I already planned on it." Reila said, stowing her PDA away before biting her lip in thought. "But really Seto, I think you should assign a guard to Mokuba if he's going to be out on his own - it would be far too easy for someone to try and pull another stunt like Pegasus did."

Seto scoffed. "This is my tournament, in my city. No one would dare."

Reila scowled, crossing her arms as she glowered. "I would like to remind you that Pegasus managed to kidnap Mokuba out of your own _building_. Assign a guard, or at least promise me that you'll be keeping track of him somehow."

Seto closed his eyes and tried to be patient with Reila. She wouldn't let this go, and part of him was grateful for how fiercely protective she could be when it came to his brother. She loved Mokuba almost as much as Seto himself did. "Alright, if it will help you focus on your job then I'll make sure that I have a way to track his location at all times."

Reila pursed her lips in thought as before nodding. "Fine. I'd still prefer a guard but it's better than nothing."

Seto barely kept the small grin off his face - only Reila could make sulking look like an artform. Her face was so expressive when she wasn't in business mode, her eyes especially so. Despite their unusual color they were by far one of her best features, equal parts mysterious and enlightening. She could hide her emotions well, but around people she trusted the walls came down. It was a strength but also a potentially fatal weakness. And speaking of weaknesses…

"You should be more careful about where you spend your free time. Already fourteen scandal papers have gotten word about you being in the arcade today, and one of them is already claiming you're in a relationship with Yugi." Seto said, that unnamed emotion coming back fiercely. What was it that was burning in the pit of his stomach?

"Do I even want to know how you found out about that?" Reila asked, her voice taking a deadpan tone. Shaking her head she sighed as she looked out across the street. "I bumped into him and Tea earlier and decided to kill an hour or so since I was waiting for Mai to meet up with me. Apparently Tea wants to be a dancer and I agreed to see a sample of her dancing to get a gauge of where she is talent wise. She's got a lot of work ahead of her but she's got decent spunk." Reila said, shrugging a shoulder briefly. "If she turns out to be a halfway decent dancer and I can get her to sign on with Sarota, even better."

"So it was business?" Seto asked, the feeling in his stomach subsiding a little.

"Yeah it was just business. Then the crowd asked for me to do a routine and I figured free publicity so why not?" Reila stopped and turned her face towards him, one brow raised delicately. "Why the sudden interest in how I spend my free time?"

"Your name popped up in an internet scouring program I developed. I saw you with them in the arcade and couldn't understand why you would spend time with Yugi and his dweebs." Seto didn't see the point in hiding it from her, there was nothing unusual about the situation besides who she had spent the afternoon with.

"You have your program scouring the internet for new information regarding me." Again she spoke with a deadpan tone, blinking slowly. "I'm not sure if I should be flattered or creeped out that you're stalking me via the internet."

Seto scowled. "If you're going to be around my company and brother so much, I need to know if something has the potential to affect me negatively through you."

Reila blinked slowly again before a puzzled look came on her face. "Seto, you're not… Jealous that I spent time with Yugi, are you?"

Seto's spine stiffened in response and he knew that Reila's sharp gaze had picked up on it. "Of course not. I just wondered what it was about them that would make you waste time hanging out with a bunch of dorks. But as you said it was just business." Turning quickly on his heel he opened the door to his car. "I'll be in touch if I need anything else from you Reila."

"You are jealous!" Reila said, looking surprised as she darted forward and placed herself between him and the seat. Standing in the doorway of his car, she directed a placating smile at him. "Seto, don't brush me off like that. It's alright, I get it - Yugi is your rival and my spending time around him makes it look like I favor him to win over you. I'm sorry if it seemed that way, and I promise that I'll be standing behind you one hundred percent during this tournament."

Seto hesitated a moment, not trusting himself to speak just yet. She had to be right - the sudden jealousy he felt had to be because of his rivalry and people misconstruing Reila's kindness to… Tea, that was her name, as support of Yugi. It was the most logical explanation for the emotion suddenly popping up. Relaxing his shoulders Seto nodded, which Reila took as a good sign and smiled before stepping out of his way.

"I'll probably be busy the next few days getting work out of the way to free up time for the tournament. I do need one more thing from you though." Seto said, reaching into the backseat and pulling a folder out of his briefcase.

"What do you need Seto?" Reila asked, taking the folder instinctively as he held it out to her.

"Find me a qualified crew to fly a blimp. The crew I hired backed out of the contract."

Seto lost the battle against his grin as he watched the horrified expression dawn on Reila's face. With a wave of his hand his driver began pulling away, leaving an incensed Reila behind them.

"SETO YOU JERK!"

* * *

"I can't believe the nerve of him! A week, a WEEK to find a qualified blimp crew? There are maybe a total of forty blimps in the world and qualified crews are so rare - UGH! I could throttle him!" I paced back and forth on the sand of my inner mind, venting to Ydor who lay on the sand looking decidedly bored. We were supposed to be practicing, but I was having a hard time focusing on anything that wasn't a blimp crew. Oh and raging about how Seto seemed to get a kick out of my dilemma.

" _Young one…_ "

"No seriously, who does he think he is dumping this on me? As if I don't have enough on my plate, now he has to add this into the mix? Oh I'm going to wring his neck the next time I see him, how could one person be so infuriatingly-"

" _ **Reila.**_ "

Ydor's exasperation finally got me to quiet down as I turned to look at him sheepishly. "Sorry Ydor, it's just so frustrating." I plopped onto the sand, running a hand through my hair. "I mean really, _really_ frustrating."

" _All the more reason to train now - you will not have the luxury of a focused mind when you are not in here. In the past I have pushed you to let go of outside influences, but this is as good a time as any to see how you contend with negative emotion affecting you._ " Standing Ydor made his way to the water, pausing to cast his scarlet gaze my way. " _Also, today I shall give you access to half my power. I have thought about your previous comment to not underestimate this Marik, and I am inclined to agree after sensing his magic last night._ "

I shivered at the memory of its oily presence running across my senses. "It didn't feel like normal magic. To me magic appears as colored threads, woven together to create a presence, a tangible force. But this… There were no threads, just a darkness that spreads thick and heavy. And if I had to categorize the color… Somewhere between blood and rust would do it. Like a dirty, sick brownish-red."

" _In my many years I have never encountered magic like his. I can tell you that his magic is fractured, much like his mind must be. Such sickness cannot be allowed to remain in this world._ "

"... By that you mean that his evil side has to go, right? The real Marik is actually a halfway decent guy if I remember correctly." I said with a frown. I didn't hate Marik, but I certainly hated his Yami side.

" _His evil side is the cause of his fractured state and the source of the perverted magic. If the boy is truly a victim of his own mind, then yes destroying the evil within him would suffice._ " Ydor continued making his way into the surf after that little nugget, and I pondered his words.

A part of me recoiled at the thought of taking a life, but the other part… That was the part of me that had been willing to shut Noah down with extreme prejudice just for being a threat to Seto and Mokuba. I was completely willing to let a child die just to save my friends some grief, and yet I was defending a guy that I'd never even met.

Yeah okay so I'm a hypocrite. But the real Marik wouldn't be a threat to Seto and Mokuba. Noah is and will continue to be one.

Deciding to not say anything, I shook off the thought as I stepped forward and readied myself for today's lesson. And if I heard another set of doors slamming within the depths of the temple, I ignored it.

* * *

Three days after the announcement of the tournament, I sighed and sat back in my office at the Sarota building. I had secured a blimp crew, and it had been easier than I thought. Despite their misgivings about working for Seto, I was able to get them hired on and even at the same price that the original crew had been contracted at. I'd also been able to have a meeting with Gorou earlier and get some work done on my album - nothing too extensive, just a general overview of how many tracks I was looking to record and deciding on one or two songs that I'd previously written to include. Gorou had even offered up a song or two of his own creation, and after reading the lyrics I had fallen in love with them and made sure to tell him how honored I was that he had given me permission to record them. This coupled with the fact that Ydor was confident in my ability to use half of his power with no serious discomfort made me feel like I was walking on cloud nine.

All in all, a very productive day.

Smiling I touched the _sfora_ amulet that I had started wearing around my neck and gave Ydor a mental nudge. He had been dozing at the edge of my awareness all day, but responded readily enough to my nudge and sent a tendril of magic my way which I slowly fed into the amulet just as Ydor had taught me to do the day after meeting Melaina. To my magical senses, it appeared as a deep aqua thread coiling within the stones. Ydor and I had determined that the desire to protect others was the easiest for me to harmonize with, and apparently aqua was a color of protection. Feeding a little magic into the stones everyday was becoming second nature, and it did give me a certain peace of mind knowing that I would always have a little extra magic on hand.

Stretching my arms over my head after I had finished, I glanced outside and saw that the sun had already set and it was growing dark. Ringing down to Shuuichi, the receptionist at the desk informed me that he had gone down the street for a quick dinner. I stopped her from calling him, telling her I could walk down and meet up with him no problem before making my way downstairs. The streetlights were on, and despite the few clouds scattered in the sky it was a beautiful evening. Stepping out of the building, I took a deep breath and smiled as a light breeze blew down the street. Even though Domino City wasn't a small town by any means, it wasn't quite large enough to have that dirty city smell that some places did. The council went to great lengths to ensure that the streets were kept clean and that the air didn't become overly polluted.

Walking slowly down the sidewalk, I lost myself in thoughts about the songs that Gorou and I had chosen. I was so wrapped up that I almost didn't hear my name being called.

"-la! Reila, hey over here!" I heard Yugi's voice call out, shaking me out of my thoughts.

Turning I saw Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey. Blinking in confusion as to why they were wandering around downtown so late at night, my eyes landed on the boxes Yugi and Joey were carrying - they had just finished picking up their duel discs from the looks of it.

"Hello." I said, walking over to the four. "What brings you guys out here so late at night?"

"Just got our duel discs for the tournament! I can't wait to try this baby out." Joey said, hugging the box happily with a grin so wide I'm surprised that his face didn't crack.

"Ah right, I forgot that Seto had put a registration site so close to my office." I said, shrugging.

"Wait, your office? I thought you worked from home." Tristan said, tapping his chin. "There was something in CURE magazine about a home recording studio at your estate wasn't there?"

"Yes, the Sarota estate does house it's own in home recording studio. But we don't strictly work from home, we also have the Sarota Entertainment building." I said, gesturing over my shoulder to said building. "My uncle, cousin, and I all have offices in the building."

"Wow, that's your building? It's even bigger than Kaiba Corp.!" Joey said, eyeing the rooftop.

"Now that you mention it, it might be a few stories taller." I said, frowning as I tried to gauge the difference in my head. "But that's probably because we employ more workers than Kaiba Corp. Plus we have to have room for dance studios, recording studios, production rooms, and a few sets for shooting music videos, aside from the meeting rooms and offices for workers."

"You guys fit all that into that building? I can't even fit stuff in my closet, nevermind a whole mess of studios into a building." Tristan said, causing Joey, Tea, and Yugi to laugh.

"Yeah I'm not helping you organize your closet." I said in a teasing voice, chuckling along with them. After we'd calmed down Joey grinned at us all.

"Hey guys, I gotta get going. My sister Serenity's operations tomorrow and I told her I'd stay at the hospital tonight."

"I didn't know you had a sister." I said, frowning as I realized that I'd completely forgotten Serenity. "I hope that the operation isn't for anything serious?"

"Well see, she's kind of losing her eyesight from a disease that she's got. The operation is really expensive and we couldn't afford it, not until Yugi gave me his winnings from the Duelist Kingdom tournament. It's not life threatening, but she's still scared to go through with it." Joey said, a soft smile on his face.

I glanced at Yugi, who blushed in response to the praise before turning to Joey. "That was very kind of you to do Yugi. If I had known that your sister needed help Joey, I would have been happy to offer assistance."

"Wait, what?" Joey said, blinking. I noted the shocked look from Tristan as well, and realized that of the four friends Joey and Tristan were the ones I had spent the least amount of time around. They probably only knew about me from second hand sources, which would explain the shock.

… Or maybe they're just that narrow minded and lumped me in with Seto as a "snobby rich kid".

"Sarota Entertainment and the Sarota family in particular do a lot of charitable donations, both through organizations and to private parties. A young girl potentially losing her eyesight because of financial worries? I couldn't imagine the fear she must be feeling losing some of her eyesight every day. I would have been more than happy to help if you had told me the situation." I said calmly, placing a hand on my hip with an exasperated look on my face.

"Well I… I mean we've barely talked before Reila, so why the sudden interest in helping us?" Joey said, a suspicious look on his face.

"Yeah, we figured since you were friends with Kaiba you wouldn't be… You know, as nice as some people." Tristan said, not meeting my gaze.

"Guys that's not fair! Reila has been really nice to us when she can be. I mean she risked her life to keep us safe when we went into the virtual world, and she even gave Tea an offer to help her with her dancing once she's done with high school." Yugi said, frowning at his friends.

"It's alright Yugi, Tristan does have a point. I haven't really had a chance to spend time with them, not like I spent time with you and Tea the other day." I said, thankful that I hadn't slipped and said 'Tea and the pharaoh'.

"It still doesn't excuse the fact that they're being so rude to you." Tea said, frowning at the two.

"Tea really, it's alright. Look Tristan, Joey, I know that Seto can be brash and rude but that doesn't mean everyone associated with him is. Just look at Mokuba, I know you guys get along with him." My words seemed to make the two teens uncomfortable. "I'm not saying that I'm a saint - I've had my share of times where I've had to set my feelings aside and be tough. But you both, along with Yugi and Tea have helped Mokuba and Seto enough to make you alright in my book. So I'm serious, if there's anything I can do to help you guys let me know."

Joey and Tristan looked thoughtful for a moment, embarrassment clear on their faces. "Thanks Reila. And I'm sorry for misjudging you and all. I guess I didn't really stop to remember the times that you've been really nice." Joey said, a shy grin on his face.

"Don't worry about it. Anyways, I have to get going. My driver should be done eating by now and I have to get home. You guys aren't planning on sticking around much longer are you? Domino City is fairly safe but downtown can get a little rough after dark." I blinked hard as a sudden flash of memory came back to me - Joey would be confronted by the rare hunters tonight. Crap, to let it happen or not let it happen? From what little I remember there wasn't any harm in bypassing that little part… It made Joey late for Serenity's operation, cost him his Red Eyes for a little bit, and would eventually lead to Yugi 'meeting' Marik through one of his mind slaves as he got the Red Eyes back.

Nope nothing important to the main line of the story. Not happening, Serenity shouldn't have to deal with that much fear and anxiety before surgery. Minor, and I mean _minor_ character development loses in the face of keeping someone undergoing surgery calm and healthy.

"Nah, we were just getting ready to head our separate ways when we spotted you. Anyway I'll catch you guys later!" Joey made to run off down an alley when I grabbed the back of his jacket, accidentally grabbing his shirt to and causing him to choke a little.

"Did I not just get done saying that downtown can get rough after dark? And the first thing you do is head for a dark alley." I scowled and pointed behind me where Shuuichi had just pulled up after spotting me. "Get in the car Joey, I'll get you to the hospital. And the rest of you get in too, no sense in anyone risking a run-in with a mugger."

"Reila I've lived in this city my whole life, I can take care of-" Joey's argument was cut short as I gave him the _look_ , the same one I used when I was laying on the guilt with Hojo or Mokuba. I had perfected this particular look after seeing how quickly Hojo caved into it, and most of the time it worked on Mokuba to. It was a face that brokered no arguments and when turned on a somewhat immature person got them to stop arguing.

Joey froze under the weight of my gaze before sighing and holding his hands up in defeat. "Alright alright, I'll ride in the car. Geez have you thought about bottling that look? It's a freaking deadly weapon!"

This time I laughed right along with Tea, Tristan, and Yugi as Joey grumbled under his breath. It felt good to know that at least one person had been spared some pain and torment at Marik's hands already.

Take that canon plot line!


End file.
